
Glass 
Book 



COPYRIGHT DEPOSIT 



THE STANDARD 

Household Physician. 



A PLAIN AYD PRACTICAL GUIDE 

DESCRIBING 

SIMPLE DISEASES, THEIR CAUSES, PREVENTION, 
AND SAFE HOME TREATMENT. 



ANATOMY, EMERGENCIES, AND 
DOMESTIC PRACTICE. 



/ 

By WILLIAM PEABODY DEFRIEZ, A.M., M.D., 

SURGEON TO THE BOOTHBY HOSPITAL, BOSTON ; ATTENDING PHYSICIAN 
AT THE HAHNEMANNIAN DISPENSARY ; FORMERLY INTERNE AT THE 
CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL, MUNICH, BAVARIA; MEMBER OF MASS. 
HOMOEOPATHIC MEDICAL SOCIETY : FORMERLY VISITING PHY- 
SICIAN AT THE OLD LADIES* HOME, BOSTON: ME3IBER 
OF BOSTON MEDICAL SOCIETY; MEMBER OF THE 
" HUGHES MEDICAL CLUB,"' OF THE INTERNA- 
TIONAL HAHNEMANNIAN SOCIETY. AND OF 
THE BOSTON HAHNEMANNIAN SOCIETY. 



ILLUSTRATED. 



BOSTOX : 






THE HYGIEXIC PUBLISHING CO. 

1S92. 



^=> 




tx 









COPYRIGHTED, 1892, BY 
THE HYGIENIC PUBLISHING CO 
BOSTON, MASS. 



PREFACE. 



In spite of all detraction and crying out by the 
allopathic school of medicine, the practice of the science 
of homoeopathy, as created by Hahnemann its founder, 
has come to take a permanent place among the recog- 
nized methods of cure. Homoeopathy, as now standing, 
has made the greatest advance possible. It has grown, 
from the very few scattered disciples practising its 
principles and doctrines, to have schools of medicine of 
its own, hospitals and dispensaries, and is recognized 
not only by the public generally, but by State govern- 
ments. It has been found beneficial to place the insane, 
in many States, under its law of cure, with the most 
beneficial results. It commends itself to the thinking 
mind: first, by its simplicity and the lack of danger to 
the patient in the administration of its remedies, as well 
as by the avoidance of such nauseous drugs as senna, 
castor oil, etc. , to which every mother administering to 
her children can abundantly testify; but principally it 
is its law of cure that tends to impress it upon the 
mind. The administration of the remedy as called for 
by the symptoms of a disease cures that disease simply 
because we have gained the knowledge that these same 
symptoms are produced in the healthy body by the 



VI PREFACE. 

taking of the remedy. This is done by men and women, 
who, in the cause of science and for the benefit of 
Buffering humanity, are willing to bear the discomforts 
which necessarily attend such provings. In issuing this 
work, the writer is guided by a desire to introduce a 
more judicious and rational system of domestic practice, 
and to put the community on their guard against the 
absurdities of the allopathic system of medicine as at 
present practised. The very fact of prescribing for a 
disease by its name, instead of by the symptoms it 
develops, is an absurdity, and an allopath without a 
diagnosis of the disease before him — that is, a name for 
it — is as helplessly afloat as a ship in a gale of wind 
without compass or rudder. This is abundantly proved 
by the utterances of the champions of the old school. 
Such is the dictum of Dr. 0. W. Holmes, that if all the 
medicines in the world were thrown into the sea, it 
would be infinitely better for mankind and worse for 
the fishes. Another prominent allopathic physician 
made a reply, when asked what the science of medicine 
consisted of, in the following terse sentence : ' ' The 
science of medicine consists in putting a remedy of 
which we know nothing, into a body of which we know 
less." Let every person possessed of intelligence, judge. 
The Drs. Bleedum and Purgeum have passed away, 
and their place has been filled by men who, at the pres- 
ent date, would hesitate to do what was considered a 
necessity in a time but recently passed, as the majority 
of us can recall. The denial of a mouthful of water to 
a suffering patient with a parched tongue and a pulse 
at its height, can readily be recalled by many still in the 
prime of life. That homoeopathy has had a distinct 



PREFACE. Vll 

and ruling influence, provoking these changes and 
opening the eyes of the people to their absurdity, is 
proven by the fact that no physician would, at the 
present time, attempt such measures. In dietetics the 
changes have been momentous. Tea and coffee, as well 
as tobacco, have been denied to those suffering from 
disease, and with justice to them. How many, partic- 
ularly among the female portion of our people, have 
had as irresistible a desire for those beverages as for any 
more potent stimulant ; and how many of us recall 
when it was common practice to have the teapot, espe- 
cially, ever ready for immediate use ! We are not here 
at liberty to enumerate more concisely, as these matters 
will be treated more elaborately under their proper 
headings. Suffice it to say that this little volume makes 
its entrance into the world with the distinct hope of its 
author that it may do the greatest good to its readers in 
the simplest and most rational way. It shall be our 
endeavor to bring the very latest remedies and medical 
truths so plainly before our readers, that he who runs 
may read and understand. There are many virulent 
diseases, of serious nature, which affect the human 
body, that will, of necessity, have but a brief mention, 
as in such cases the presence of a physician is imperative. 
For the sake of comfort to herself, and the well-being 
of her children, we advise every mother to become 
acquainted with homoeopathy, and follow its precepts. 
The remedies act specifically, that is, touch the disease 
where it ravages, and conquer and subdue it where it 
is, without undermining health, as we see, but alas, too 
often occurring through the use of such remedies as 
opium, mercury, quinine, and many others. But if 



viii PREFACE. 

many of the minor ails can be placed, through its con- 
tents, in such a way before the mother that she may 
be spared the dread and fear that attend disease, and 
feel confident of giving relief and making cures, the 
volume will meet with an abundant reward. 

W. P. DEFRIEZ. 



CONTEXTS 



Preface 



CHAPTER I. Anatomy 



Animal Anatomy . 

The Trunk 

The Subdivisions of the Body 
Number of the Bones 
Structures of our Bodies . 

The Skeleton 

Form of Bones 

The Spine 

General Characters of a Vertebra, 

The Sacrum 

The Coccyx 

Peculiar Vertebrae 

Atlas 

Axis 

The Skull 

The Cranium 

The Thorax 

The Sternum 

The Collar Bone 

The Bibs 



Upper Extremities 

The Clavicle or Collar Bone 

The Scapula . 

The Humerus 

The Radius . 



The Ulna 

The Wrist . 

The Palm 

The Fingers 

The Lower Extremity 

The Acetabulum 

The Tibia . 

The Fibula . 



THE ARTICULATIONS AXD MUSCLES. 

Structures Composing the Joints . 29 

Cartilage 30 

Synovial Membrane .... 30 

General Description of Muscle . 31 



CHAPTER II. The Blood and Vascular System, 



The Blood . 
The Heart . 

The Currents of Blood 



The Arteries 
The Veins 
Capillaries 



The Larynx 

The Trachea 
Epiglottis 



CHAPTER III. The Respiratory System. 



The Bronchial Tube; 
The Lung . 



40 



CHAPTER IV. The Xervous System. 



The Brain . 
The Cerebrum 
Cerebellum . 
Pons Varolii 
Medulla Oblongata 
The Spinal Cord . 



Spinal Nerves 



SYMPATHETIC SYSTEM. 



Sympathetic Nerves 
Gansrlia 



i'3 



CONTEXTS. 

CHAPTEB v. The Digestive Organs 



Alimentary Tube 

Salivary Glands 4i * 

Gullet 

Stomacb 

Duodenum 

Jejunum 



49 


Ileum 


50 


49 


Small Intestine , 


51 


50 


Large Intestine . , 


51 


50 


The "Pocket" , 


52 


50 


Liver . 


53 


50 


Pancreas , 


54 



CHAPTEB VI. The Kidneys, . Bladder, Skix, and Peritoneum. 

56 The Sweat Glands , , , 59 



The Kidneys 

The Bladder 

The Skiu 



The Sweat Glands 
Peritoneum . 



CHAPTER VII. External Injuries. 



Contusions 

Vomiting Resulting from Bruises 

Sprains 

Wounds 

Incised Wounds .... 



61 


Punctural Wounds 


64 


62 


Poisoned Wounds 


64 


63 


Gunshot Wounds 


64 


63 


Treatment of Wounds 


04 


64 


SnakeJjites . 


66 



CHAPTER VIII. Burns, Scalds, and Frostbites. 

Burns TO Frostbites 



72 



CHAPTER IX. Hemorrhage. 

Venous Hemorrhage ... 73 Location of Important Arteries . 

Arterial Hemorrhage ... 73 

CHAPTER X. Fractures and Dislocations. 

Fractures 77 Dislocations 

Splints 77 

CHAPTER XL Apparent Death. 

Shock SO Asphyxia ...... 

CHAPTER XII. Concussion and Compression of the Brain. 

Concussion of the Brain 84 Compression of the Brain 

CHAPTER XIII. Poisons and Poisoning. 

General Character of Poisons . 86 Mineral Poisons 



81 



84 



CHAPTER XIV 

Instructions to Patients 



Instructions to Patients. 



CHAPTER XV. The Investigation of Disease. 



The Causes of Disease 
The Character of Disease 
The Symptoms of Disease 
The Pulse . 
The Tongue . 



93 Sensations in Sickness 

93 Temperature of the Body 

93 The Breathing , 

95 Skin 

96 The Appetite 



97 



<Jd 



CONTEXTS. XI 

The Conditions of the Bowels . . 99 Nitrogenized Foods . . . .103 

The Urine 100 Non-Nitrogenized Foods . . . 105 

Diet 101 Inorganic Foods 106 

Foods 103 Requisite Quantity of Food . . 107 

CHAPTER XVI. Regimen of the Sick during Homoeopathic 

Treatment. 

General Rules 10S Articles Forbidden . . . .108 



CHAPTER XVII. Headaches. 



CHAPTER XVIII. The Eyes. 

Care of the Eyes . . . . 114 Tumors of the Lids . 
Inflammation of the Eyelids . .114 Inflammation of the Eyelids . 

Styes 115 Inflammation of the Cornea 

CHAPTER XIX. Affections of the Eaks. 

Mumps 119 Discharges from the Ear*; 

The Ears 119 Ringing and Buzzing in the Ear 

Earache 120 Hardness of Hearing 



116 
117 

US 



121 
122 
122 



CHAPTER XX. The Xose. 
Catarrh, Coryza, or Cold in the Head 121 Epistaxis or Nosebleed 



125 



CHAPTER XXI. Affections of the Mouth. 



THE TONSILS. 

Inflammation of the Tonsils 



Inflammation of the Lips . 


127 


Quinsy 


131 


Gumboil 


127 


Tonsillitis 


131 


Dental Fistula; .... 


127 


Enlarged Tonsils 


133 


Toothache 


128 


Catarrhal Sore Throat 


133 


Inflammation of the Tongue . 


129 


Chronic Sore Throat . 


131 


Canker Sore Mouth . 


130 


Ulcers in the Mouth . 


136 


Ranula 


130 


Diphtheria ..... 


137 



131 



CHAPTER XXII 



Hoarseness . 
Cough . 
Whooping-Cough 
False Croup 
Pneumonia . 



Affections of the Chest. 



139 
140 
142 
143 
144 



Pleurisy 146 

False Pleurisy (Pleurodynia) . . 147 
Bronchitis . . . . .148 

Asthma 151 



CHAPTER XXIII. Affections of the Stomach and Bowels. 



Loss of Appetite . . . .153 
Morbid or Capricious Appetite . 155 
Dyspepsia, Indigestion . . .155 



Catarrh of the Stomach . . .156 
Nausea and Vomiting . . .161 
Pain or Cramp of the Stomach . 163 



Xll 



CONTENTS. 



( HAPTER XXIV. Diseases of the Abdomen. 



Colic 

Enteritis 

Peritonitis 

r i realmenl of Catarrhal Inflamma- 
tion <>l the Inner Lining of the 
Bowels 

Appendicitis inflammation of the 
"Pocket" 



Prolapsus of the Rectum 
Hemorrhoids, Piles . 
Pruritus Ani 



167 Abscess of the Abdominal Walls 


174 


170 Invagination of the Bowels 


174 


170 Worms 


. 175 


Seatworms 


178 


Itching of the Anus . 


178 


171 Constipation .... 


. 179 


Diarrhoea 


. 184 


174 Cholera Morbus, Summer Complaint 186 


Diseases of the Rectum. 




197 Eczema 


. 201 


197 Abscess in or near the Anu- 


. 203 


201 Fistula in Ano .... 


. 203 



CHAPTER XXVI. Diseases of the Liver. 

Inflammation of the Liver . . 206 Jaundice .... 



207 



(HATTER XXVII. Diseases of the Urinary Organs. 



The Urine . 
Involuntary Urination 



208 
209 



Painful Urination 

The Passing of Blood Urine 



209 
210 



CHAPTER XXVIII. Diseases of the Skin 



Skin Diseases in General . 
Urticaria (Nettle Rash), Hives 

Boil 

Carbuncle 

Abscess 

Felon, Whitlow, Runround, Panari- 
tium 

Ingrowing Toe Nails . . . . 
Chilblains, Frostbite . . . . 



211 Corns .... 

212 Sore Feet 

214 Warts .... 

215 Bedsores 

215 Poisoning by Ivy 
Eczema, Milk Crust, Salt Rheum 

216 Ringworm . 
218 Itching of the Skin . 
219 



220 
220 
221 
222 
223 
224 
226 
226 



CHAPTER XXIX. Eruptive Diseases. 



General Consideration of Eruptive Scarlet Rash 

Diseases 22S Chicken Pox 

Measles 228 Smallpox 

Scarlet Fever 231 Varioloid 



234 
234 
235 
237 



CHAPTER XXX. Fevers. 
Fevers in General . . . .238 

Catarrhal Fever 239 

Typhoid Fever 241 



Intermittent Fever, Chills and 

Fever, Malaria .... 244 
Causes of Intermittent Fever . . 245 



CHAPTER XXXI. Rheumatism and Gout. 



Rheumatism . 
Wry Neck . 



250 
251 



Intercostal Rheumatism (Neuralgia) 
Sciatica 



251 

257 



CHAPTER XXXII. Some General Diseases. 

259 



Lockjaw, Trismus 
Bursas, Housemaid 

ing Sinew 
Bunion .... 
Chorea, St. Virus's Dance 



Knee, Weep 



261 

5M». 



Diabetes Mellitus 
Diabetes Insipidus 
Cramp in the Limbs . 
Insomnia, Sleeplessness 



262 
263 



264 



CONTEXTS. 



Xlll 



CHAPTER XXXIII. Children and their Diseases. 



Management of Children 

The Pulse 

The Respiration . 



277 
277 



Infant Feeding 278 

Weaning 287 



CHAPTER XXXIV. Features of Sickness, and General Rules 
for Nursing of Sick Children. 

General Remarks 
Temperature of the Body 
Care of Infants . 
General Hygienic Rules . 
The Nursery 



290 Toilet Powders .... 

291 General Nursing of Sick Children 
291 Bathing 

294 The Features in Sickness . 

295 The Cries of Children 



296 

297 



299 
300 



CHAPTER XXXV. 



Hygienic Care of Children, 
Diseases. 



Some General 



Dentition 

The Care of the Teeth, Nails, and 

Hair 

Sore Eyes 

Colic * 

Coryza and Snuffles .... 

Sore Mouth 

Sore Throat ...... 

Constipation .... 

Diarrhoea .<,... 



300 


Inflammation of the Foreskin . 


315 




The Navel 


315 


303 


Hemorrhage from the Navel . 


315 


304 


Chafing, Excoriation . 


316 


305 


Crying 


316 


306 


Hiccough 


317 


307 


Crusts on the Head . 


317 


308 


Spasms or Convulsions 


318 


309 


Retention of Urine or Feces . 


319 


310 


Observation and Suggestions . 


320 



THE STANDARD 

HOUSEHOLD PHYSICIAN 



CHAPTER I. 
ANATOMY. 

Anatomy in its literal sense means the dissection 
or separation of parts by cutting, but it is generally 
accepted as referring to the construction, form, and 
structure of bodies that are or have been living. We 
divide the subject into two classes, Animal Anatomy, 
which relates to the structure of animals; and Vege- 
table Anatomy or Phytology, which relates to the 
structure of plants. It is with reference to the general 
formation of our bodies that we have to do in the 
present article. 

Man belongs to the class of vertebrates, that is, he 
possesses a spine or vertebral column and a skull, in 
which are contained the brain and spinal marrow; in 
front of the spine are situated the respiratory, circu- 
latory, and alimentary organs. But man differs from 
all the others of his class, inasmuch as he is able to 
walk and stand erect. 



18 



ANATOMY 



The body may be considered as divided into two 
lateral halves, a right and left; and as every muscle in 
the body has its mate, this division is especially correct 
in speaking of the muscular system. We also divide 
the body into regions or sections. First comes the 
stem or stock of the body, and consists of the head, 
the neck, and the trunk. The trunk is again sub- 
divided into the chest or thorax 
and the belly or abdomen. The 
abdomen is again subdivided into 
the abdomen proper and the pelvis. 
In the head is situated the brain, 
and from it is prolonged the spinal 
marrow, extending down the spinal 
canal. 

In the neck we find the gullet, 
behind the windpipe in front, con- 
nected with the organs of speech. 
Within the chest or thorax lie the 
lungs, heart, and the continued pro- 
longation of the gullet ; the thorax 
or chest organs are partitioned off 
from the abdomen by a muscular 
structure called the diaphragm. 
The abdomen contains the stomach, 
intestines, liver, spleen, pancreas, kidneys, bladder, 
and generative organs. 

The body as a whole is made up of liquids and solids, 
varying in proportions according to the age. In infancy 
the liquids are in excess, and gradually the solids pre- 
ponderate, so that in adult fife the proportion is exactly 
reversed.. It is estimated that the liquids are thirty- 




rig. 1. 



ANATOMY. 19 

three and one third per cent, solids sixty-seven and 
two thirds per cent in adults. It is when there is a 
continued disproportion of the two substances, as an 
excess of liquids, that constitutes the disease called 
rickets. 

The human skeleton consists of two hundred bones. 
They are distributed as follows : — 

The spine or vertebral column . . . . 26 

The head or cranium . k 8 

The face 14 

The ribs 21 

Upper extremities 61 

Lower extremities 62 

Breast bone and os hyoides 2 

200 
The structures of our bodies possess many peculi- 
arities in form and structure, and have a variety of 
functions or uses: the bones forming the osseous sys- 
tem ; the joints the articulator} 7 " system ; the muscles 
which make movement of the joints possible, the 
muscular system. The blood and lymph vessels form 
the vascular system ; the brain, the spine, and the 
nerves, the nervous system ; the throat and lungs, 
the respiratory system. The alimentary canal, or 
perhaps better understood if called a "tube," begins at 
the mouth and consists of the pharynx and gullet 
which convey the food into the stomach, then by its 
continuation through the intestines to the anus, thus 
forming a canal about thirty feet long; this, together 
with glands opening into the alimentary tract, con- 
stitutes the digestive system; the kidneys, bladder, and 
urethra, the urinary system. The uterus, ovaries, and 



20 



ANATOMY. 



clitoris in the female, the penis, spermatic cords, and 
testicles in the male, the generative or reproductive 
system. The tegumentary system consists of the 
skin, hair, nails, and teeth. 

The osseous system con- 
sists of the bones, which 
form a structure upon 
which the other systems 
rest. They are composed 
of two substances, one of 
which is an ivory - like 
material called compact 
tissue, and a fine fibrous 
structure which, from its 
resemblance to lattice- 
work, is called cancellous 
tissue. The relative pro- 
portions of these two 
kinds of tissue vary in 
different zones. If we 
carefully examine a bone 
or make a section, we find 
the compact tissue outside 
Fig 2 is perforated or porous, 

The human skeleton 1 The head. as fg the Cancellous, Only 

2. The neck. 3. The chest. 4. The trunk. ' J 

5. The abdomen. 6. The pelvis. the gpaces are much 

smaller in the former, thus containing a large amount 
of solid material; thus we call one the solid or earthy 
material, the other the animal. 

Bones are permeated by vessels and enclosed by a 
membrane called the periosteum, which is a firm, resist- 
ing membrane covering it on nearly every part except 




ANATOMY. 



21 



where cartilage is present. The periosteum is the 
nutrient membrane of bone, endowing 
its exterior with vitality. When the 
periosteum is injured or becomes de- 
tached, death of the bone ensues, 
which is termed necrosis, and is 
well exemplified in a felon. The 
interior of all the long bones presents 
a cylindrical cavity filled with a sub- 
stance called marrow, and lined by an 
internal periosteum or medullary mem- 
brane ; these two structures, the ex- 
ternal and internal periosteum, serve 
as a medium through which the blood- 
vessels reach the compact and cancel- 
lous tissues of which bones are com- 
posed. Bones are supplied with nerves 
and lymphatics or absorbents. The 
spine or vertebral column is composed 
of twenty- six bones called vertebrae, 
and supports the skull and its con- 
tents; each bone is so formed that 
when joined together a bony canal is Fi s- 3. 

formed through its entire length, 
thus furnishing a firm protection 
for the spinal cord. The base of 
the column rests on the sacrum 
or wedge bone between the 
"haunch bones" or hips. 

A vertebra consists of several 

important parts, a body, a solid 

The arch is formed of two prO- 




Fig. 4. 

A vertebra. 1. The body. 
2. The spinal canal. 3. The 
spinous process. 

piece, and an arch. 



22 ANATOMY. 

jections. The bodies of the vertebrae are arranged 
one above another, and separated by a pad or inter- 
vertebra] substance which furnishes a soft cushion for 
each vertebra to rest upon. Its structure prevents 
jarring, and through this elasticity aids in assum- 
ing the erect position. 

At night we are about half an inch shorter than in 
the morning, from the continued pressure on the inter- 
vertebral substance. Eest and the incumbent position 
of the night restore it to its previous condition. The 
irregular projections on the sides and back of the ver- 
tebra? furnish attachments for muscles and ligaments, 
■which make the several pieces composing the column 
as one. 

The average length of the spine is twenty-eight 
inches. In its general outline two series of curves are 
seen, convex and concave. Looking from the front, a 
slight deviation to the right is also seen, due no doubt 
in the majority of cases to greater development of the 
muscles on the right side. These curves are called 
"compensating," as they are so related that the in- 
cumbent weight is properly balanced. 

It is estimated that these curves greatly increase the 
strength of the column. The bones of the vertebral 
column are thus divided, viz. : — 

Cervical or neck 7 

Dorsal or back 12 

Lumbar or loins 5 

The sacrum, which (in foetal life) represents five 

vertebrae joined into a single bone .... 1 
The coccyx, also four bones fused in one as the 

sacrum 1 

26 



ANATOMY. 



23 



The peculiar vertebras are the first and second. The 
first is called the atlas (so named from supporting the 
head). It has two canals or openings: one for the 
passage of the spinal cord or marrow; the other for the 
projecting process of the second vertebra or axis (so 
named from forming the pivot upon which the head 
rotates). 

The atlas, from its formation, allows of the rocking 
or nodding movements of the 
head, while the axis makes the 
rotatory movements possible. 

The skull or skeleton of the 
head is composed of twenty- 
two bones. The cranium or 
helmet is made up of eight 
bones; viz., occipital 1, parietal 
2, frontal 1, temporal 2, sphe- 
noid 1, ethmoid 1. The face 
comprises fourteen bones; viz., 
nasal 2, superior maxillary 2, 
lachrymal 2, malar 2, palate 2, 
inferior turbinated 2, vomer 1, 
inferior maxillary 1. The differ- 
ent bones which together form 
the skull are united by sutures 
or " seams." These sutures act 
similarly as dovetailing, though in 
the earlier months of infancy the 
bones are not closely united, thus 
permitting at birth of some com- 
pression, and also allow for future 
growth in the size of the head; 




Fig. 5. 
A view of the outside of the 
cranium, showing the sutures, 
numbered 1, 2. 3. 




Fijr. 6. 



A view of the foetal head, 
showing the fontanels. 1. 
Back fontanel. 2. Line of 
separation of the parietal 
bones. 3. Front fontanel. 



24 



ANATOMY. 



they also prevent the dispersion of blows or jars re- 
ceived upon the skull. Before birth there are several 
spaces between the hones of the cranium called fontanels 
or ••soft spot-." in which hone substance is wanting; 
these intervals gradually close as development goes on, 
although the fontanel on the top of the cranium often 
remains open beyond tw< > years. 

The thorax or chest is an enclosure or cavity -which 

contains the lungs, heart, 
and large blood-vessels. 
It is formed by the ster- 
num or "breast bone" 
in front, the twelve ribs 
on each side, and by the 
dorsal vertebrae behind. 
The sternum is a flat, 
narrow bone, larger at 
the top and gradually 
tapers to the bottom. 
It is about six inches 
long, and from its shape 
has been likened to an 
ancient sword. It af- 
fords an attachment for the collar bones at the top 
and the ribs, with the exception of the last two, they 
being attached only to the vertebra^ behind. The ribs 
are pliable arches of bone, twenty-four in number, 
twelve on each side, which form the greater part of 
the chest walls. The first seven are connected to the 
spine behind and to the sternum in front. The remain- 
ing five are false ribs, three of which are connected 
by cartilages to the sternum, the last two being 




Fig. 7. 

A front view of the thorax. 1. Sternum. 
2. First dorsal vertebra. 3. First rib. 4. 
Fal<e ribs. 5. Floating ribs. 6. Twelfth 
dorsal vertebra. 7. Costal cartilages. 



ANATOMY. 25 

designated as floating ribs. The ribs are not uniform 
in length; they increase from the first to the seventh, 
and then gradually diminish to the twelfth. From 
their shape, size, and method of attachments, the ribs 
allow of expansion and contraction corresponding to 
expiration and inspiration. 

The extremities or limbs are four in number, an 
upper or thoracic pair and a lower pair. In construction 
they are similar, although certain differences are seen 
in each, consequent upon their different uses. The 
upper extremity consists of the arm, the forearm, and 
the hand. They are attached to the trunk by means of 
the shoulder, which consists of the clavicle and scapula. 

The clavicle or collar bone is an elongated bone 
which extends from the upper end of the sternum 
horizontally outward immediately above the first rib, 
to the acromion process of the scapula or shoulder-blade. 
It forms the front portion of the shoulder, and serves 
to sustain the upper extremity in its position. 

The scapula or shoulder-blade is a large, fiat, tri- 
angular bone situated on the 
l3ack side of the thorax, hav- 
ing a projection on its upper 
posterior surface called the 
' i spine," the outer extremity 
of which connects with the 
clavicle, being designated as the acro- 
mion process, and is the summit of the 
shoulder. At the upper external angle 
of the scapula is a large, shallow depres- Fi J^s. 

Scapula or shoulder 

sion called the glenoid iossa or socket tor made, i. The spine. 

° 2. Glenoid cavity. 

articulation with the ball- shaped head of I"a£^SLj£X5S: 




ANATOMY. 



the humerus. Overhanging this cavity is another pro- 
cess called the coracoid. 

The It n mcru's or bone of the upper arm is the longest 
and largest bone of the arm, and consists of a shaft and 
two extremities; the upper extremity of this bone has a 
rounded head, which fits the depression described as the 
glenoid fossa of the scapula ; just below the head the 
bone is slightly constricted, forming what is designated 
as the anatomical neck, and where the neck and shaft 
become continuous with each other are seen two pro- 
cesses or tuberosities to which are attached the muscles 
which rotate the upper arm. The 
shaft of the humerus is cylindrical 
above, gradually becoming flattened 
and terminates below in a broad, 
articular surface divided in two 
parts for the reception of the ulna 
and radius, these three bones form- 
ing the elbow joint. 

The forearm is composed of the 
radius and ulna. 

The radius is the outer bone of 
the forearm, and like all long bones 
has a shaft and two extremities. 
Its upper extremity or head has a 
cup-like depression on the summit 
to fit the articulating surface on the 
humerus; the outer marerin of the 

Fig. 9. ' ^ 

a Tiew of the left upper cup is smooth, and rotates within a 

limb. 1. Scapula. 2. Clav- 
icle. 3. Acromion process, ligamentous band extending from 

4. Coracoid process. 5. ° ° 

"urT'ca%a T iToJ« E t the ulna to the radius. Just below 

M^carpal bones. 10. Pha- ^ j^ ^^ j g & roughen ed 




ANATOMY. 27 

tubercle for the attachment of the biceps muscle. The 
shaft of the radius is slightly irregular and rough for 
muscular attachments ; the lower extremity of the 
radius is broad, and presents a large surface for articu- 
lation with the scaphoid and semilunar bones of the 
wrist, and also a shallow fossa for articulation with 
the ulna. The ulna, also a long bone, like them pos- 
sesses a shaft and two extremities. It is the companion 
of the radius; its upper extremity is broad, and has 
a deep depression to receive the lower extremity of 
the humerus. The prominent point of the elbow is the 
upper extreme end of the ulna called the ' ' olecranon 
process" or "funny bone," so designated from the 
sensation produced when the ulna nerve, which lies 
in close proximity, is struck. Dr. Holmes refers to it 
as the funny bone "because it borders on the humerus." 
The lower extremity of the ulna ends in a small round 
head; and while it is attached to its mate, the radius, 
it does not articulate with the wrist bones. 

From the peculiar arrangement of the radius and 
ulna a great variety of movements is possible. The 
head of the radius, rotating at the elbow by means 
already described, permits the radius to cross obliquely 
in front of the ulna; this position is called pronation; 
when the palm of the hand is directed forward, the 
ulna and radius are parallel, this constitutes supination. 

The hand consists of the carpus or wrist, of the 
metacarpus or palm, and of the digits or fingers, and 
the thumb. 

The wrist is composed of eight small, irregular- 
shaped bones arranged in two rows and firmly bound 
together, permitting very slight movement, but giving 
great strength. 



28 



ANATOMY. 



M: 



The metacarpus or palm is composed of five bones, 
upon four of which the first range of the finger bones 
is placed, and upon the other the first bone of the 
thumb. 

The digits or fingers are five in number, although 
i fourteen bones arranged in three 

rows compose their skeleton. 

The wonderful adaptation of 
the hand to the various offices of 
life is one cause of man's supe- 
riority over the rest of creation. 
This arises from the size and 
strength of the thumbs and the 
properly proportioned lengths of 
the fingers. 

The lower extremities are 
joined to the trunk through 
their articulation with the os 
innominata or haunch bones. 
These bones are large, irregular, 
and plate-like, 'two in number, 
forming with the sacrum and 
coccyx a cavity called the pelvis 
or basin. On the outer side of 
an innominate bone is a deep 
cup or fossa called the aceta- 
bulum, corresponding in function 
to the glenoid cavity of the 
scapula, which lodges the head of 
the femur or thigh bone, forming 
8. ri Meta- "the hip joint. The femur is the 
longest bone in the body. It 



\; 



Fig. 10. 

The lower extremity. 1. In 
nominate bone. 2. Pubic bone 
3. Femur. 4. Patella. 5. Fibula 
6. Tibia. 7. Tarsus 
tarsus. 9. Digits. 



ANATOMY. 29 

resembles the humerus in its general formation. The 
large round head at its upper extremity is placed in the 
acetabulum, and like the shoulder joint is a specimen 
of the ball-and-socket joint. The lower extremity of 
the femur is very large and broad, and articulates with 
the upper extremity of the tibia or leg bone and the 
patella or knee-cap. 

The tibia is the principal bone of the leg, and 
corresponds to the other long bones. It is very super- 
ficial in front, and its edge may be felt through the 
skin. It is also called the shin bone. 

The fibula or splint bone is the companion bone of 
the tibia; is very slender, and with the tibia forms the 
ankle joint. 

The patella or knee-cap is a small triangular-shaped 
bone situated in front of the knee joint, and is firmly 
held in position by its attachment to the sheath of a 
tendon. When the muscles of the leg are relaxed, it 
will be found that the patella is freely movable. 

The foot is composed of the tarsus, the metatarsus, 
and the fixe free digits or toes. The tarsal and meta- 
tarsal bones are so united that they give the foot an 
arched form, convex above called the instep, concave 
below or hollow of the foot. This arrangement gives 
elasticity to the step and protects the foot from injury 
by jarring. 

Articulatory and Muscular System. 

The joints form an interesting part of the study of 
anatomy. They are composed of two or more bones, 
cartilages (gristles), synovial membrane, and ligaments. 
Some are immovable, as joints of the skull; others 



30 ANATOMY. 

slightly movable, as joints of the spine; while the 
remaining ones are freely movable, as the shoulder 
joints and finger joints, for example. 

Cartilage is a smooth, firm, elastic substance, of 
a pearly whiteness, softer than bone. It forms an 
incrustation on the articular surfaces of bones. Upon 
convex surfaces it is thickest in the centre, and thinner 
toward the circumference; while upon concave surfaces 
it is thickest on the circumference, and thin at the 
centre. 

The synovial membrane is a delicate membranous 
structure which covers the cartilages and is then bent 
back or reflected upon the inner surfaces of the liga- 
ments which enter into the composition of the joints; 
it thus forms a closed sack. The synovial membranes 
secrete a thick, glairy fluid, resembling in appearance 
the white of an egg, which lubricates the cartilage, 
and is known as synovia or joint oil. The ligaments 
are composed of numerous straight white fibres placed 
parallel with or closely interlaced with one another, 
forming bands of various breadths, completely sur- 
rounding the articular extremities of the bones; they 
are inelastic, though very flexible, so as to allow of the 
most perfect freedom of movement. 

It is evident from the explanation of the various 
formations of the joints that the movable joints are 
capable of a great variety of movements, as gliding, 
angular, circumduction, and rotation. The gliding mo- 
tion is found in the wrist and ankle. Angular move- 
ment occurs only between the long bones, allowing of 
a forward, backward, inward, and outward motion. 
Circumduction is that limited amount of motion which 



ANATOMY. 31 

takes place between the head of a bone and its articu- 
lar cavity, as in the shoulder and hip joints. Eotation 
is exemplified and described by the circular movement 
capable between the axis and atlas, and as the round 
head of the radius on the humerus. 

Having now explained the framework of our bodies, 
we must next find out how motion and locomotion be- 
come possible. The muscles are the organs which, by 
their power to contract, move the bones on each other 
at the joints. Some of the muscles exert an action on 
other structures than the bones, such as the eyeball, 
tongue, etc. 

There are two kinds of muscles, — voluntary, or 
those under control of the will, and the involuntary. 
Upon closer examination, a muscle is found to be com- 
posed of fibres terminating at the extremities in a sinew 
or tendon, by which the muscle is tied to the surface 
of the bone. The central portion of the muscle, called 
the belly, is fleshy, and of a deep red color; the active, 
contractile structure, the source of motor power. 

The lean meat used for food is muscular tissue ; it is 
therefore an easy matter for any one to see the struc- 
ture of the fibres and tendons of a muscle. Entering 
the substance of every muscle are arteries, veins, 
lymphatics, and nerves. The blood-vessels convey nour- 
ishment, and from the nerve it receives the stimulus 
transmitted from the brain and spinal cord which calls 
the muscles into action. The involuntary muscles are 
not connected with bones, but form the muscular sub- 
stance of the heart, stomach, and other internal organs. 
When the muscles are called into action, the flow of 
blood in the arteries and veins is increased. If exer- 



32 ANATOMY. 

cise is moderate and not continued to exhaustion, the 
size of the muscles increase, and general exhilaration 
of the whole system follows. The mind exerts a won- 
derful influence upon the effects derived from exercise. 
A person acting under a healthy mental stimulus will 
make exertion with less fatigue than he would without 
this incentive. If one is riding or walking, simply 
because he has been told to do so for his health, without 
agreeable companionship, he is soon fatigued; on the 
other hand, if he has an incentive or an interesting com- 
panion, he will feel refreshed and cheerful. The differ- 
ence is, that in the former case the muscles are obliged 
to act without that complete nervous impulse so essen- 
tial to energetic action; and in the latter, the mind, 
occupied and cheerful, gives to the nervous stimulus an 
added zest. It is not to be denied that a walk or exer- 
cise taken for sake of duty alone can never be beneficial, 
for it is imperative that every one should take exercise 
in the open air every day, but if possible, by all means 
make the duty a pleasure as well. 

" He chooses best whose labor entertains 
His vacant fancy most ; the toil, joy, hate, 
Fatigues you soon and scarce improves your limbs." 




CHAPTER II. 
THE BLOOD AND VASCULAR SYSTEM. 

There is no part of our bodies so small that it does 
not receive its supply of blood. It is conveyed through 
tubes or blood-vessels, propelled by a central pump 
called the heart. 

Blood is the great storehouse of the body, contain- 
ing, as it does, material for every tissue in the system; 
and through the blood all ^ 
broken - down and worn - out q /7 z 
matter is eliminated through 'vsJ 
certain organs, principally the © (1) @ 

lungs, kidneys, and skin. Blood Fig. n. 

i r? j_ j_- Human blood corpuscles, masni- 

IS Composed Of two portions, a fie d about 500 diameters. 1. Singh 

_ . corpuscles — (1) Their flattened 

liquid Or ''plasma, Which IS face; (2) Corpuscle seen edgeways. 

2. Corpuscles together, resembling 

almost colorless when separated a roii of coins, 
from the second or solid portion. The latter consists 
of white and red corpuscles, which resemble rolls of 
coin when seen under the microscope, being too small 
to be visible by the naked eye. The red corpuscles are 
the most numerous, and are the agents that receive 
oxygen from the air in the lungs and convey it to 
the various tissues throughout the body. The white 
corpuscles, few in number, are not thoroughly under- 
stood as to their function. When blood comes in con- 
tact with the air, it soon forms into a clot, which is the 
effort of nature to stop hemorrhage. 



34 



THE BLOOD AND VASCULAR SYSTEM. 




Internal 
Iliac A? 



The heart, which 
is likened to a pump, 
is situated obliquely 
in the left chest be- 
hind the sternum or 
breast bone, and be- 
tween the lungs. In 
shape it resembles an 
inverted cone, the base 
of which is directed 
upwards and back- 
wards toward the 
right shoulder, while 
its apex is toward the 
left side about three 
inches from the breast 
bone, and in the space 
between the fifth and 
sixth ribs, and about 
two inches below the 
left nipple. The heart 
is a hollow organ, 
composed of four cavi- 
ties, two upper and 
tw^o lower; the former 
are called auricles, the 
latter ventricles. The 
heart is also divided 
into a right and left 
side, having a ven- 
tricle and auricle in 
each. The partition 



The circulation of the blood. 



THE BLOOD AND VASCULAR SYSTEM. 35 

wall between the sides is complete; there is no passage 
through it, and no direct communication between the 
two sides, but there is an opening between the auricles 
and ventricles guarded by valves, so arranged that the 
blood may pass in one direction only. 

The walls of the cavities of the heart are made up 
of muscular fibres of the involuntary kind, hence can- 
not be controlled by the will. The auricles of the heart 
contract first, then the ventricles, which constitute the 
pulsation of the heart ; this rhythmical expansion and 
contraction, or beat of the pulse, occurs from sixty to 
eighty times during the minute in its normal state. The 
heart is surrounded by a sack called the pericardium. 

There are two currents of blood connected with the 
circulation, the venous and arterial, 
and the tubes or vessels employed in 
its distribution are the arteries and 
veins. The arteries carry the blood 
from the heart ; they begin as a large 
tube called the aorta, connected with 
the right ventricle ; at first the aorta 
is a single tube, but soon divides into 
many small branches, which are dis- 
tributed to all parts of the body, 
becoming so small they can no longer ^. *5' ," _ 

° jo Figurative plan of the 

be traced by the naked eye. The veins circulation of the wood. 
carry the blood toward the heart. There are two large 
trunks at the heart, called the inferior and superior 
vena cava, which branch out from this to the upper 
and the lower parts of the body, dividing into innumer- 
able small ramifications pervading every portion as do 
the arteries. The veins differ from the arteries in 




36 THE BLOOD AND VASCULAR SYSTEM. 

being provided with valves; as the current of blood in 
the veins is mainly toward the heart and against the 
force of gravity, such an arrangement is essential. 

There is another system of vessels, called capil- 
laries, which act as a connecting medium between the 
minute terminations of the arteries and veins, thus 
completing the circuit which constitutes what is known 
as the circulation of the blood. The inferior vena cava 
conveys the venous blood from the lower extremities 
and other parts below the apex of the heart. The supe- 
rior vena cava receives the blood from the head, upper 
extremities, and parts above the base of the heart. 
Both supplies of blood are discharged into the right 
auricle, which then contracts, forcing the contents 
through the opening into the right ventricle. The 
valve situated between these two chambers now con- 
tracts and closes the opening, and as the current of 
blood is now forced on by the contraction of the ven- 
tricle, it enters the pulmonary artery, a large blood- 
vessel connected with the right ventricle; this passage 
is also supplied with valves to prevent the regurgita- 
tion of blood. The pulmonary artery divides into two 
branches, conveying a supply of blood to each lung; 
here the blood comes in contact with the air, which 
purifies it, and is ready to be carried by means of the 
pulmonary veins which open into the left auricle, then 
passes into the left ventricle, and is forced by the con- 
traction of the ventricle into the large blood-vessel, the 
aorta, and its subdivisions through the entire system. 
From this apparently complicated set of blood-vessels 
we trace the functions of the heart, arteries, veins, and 
lymphatics. The heart acts as a central station and 



THE BLOOD AND VASCULAR SYSTEM. 37 

pump; from it the arterial system begins sending its 
channels into every tissue conveying the blood which 
gives off nourishment in its course, and taking up the 
debris during its passage; and as it reaches its destina- 
tion, the lymphatics, acting as communicating carriers, 
convey the blood, now charged with impurities, to the 
veins, which begin as it were where the arteries end, 
furnishing means by which the blood is returned to 
the heart, and from thence forced on through the lungs, 
where a chemical change is wrought by contact with 
the air. The organs by which this distribution is 
effected are so connected that there is properly neither 
beginning nor end; as it respects their functions, they 
are connected in a complete circle, and fitly called the 
circulatory organs. 



CHAPTEE III. 

THE RESPIRATORY SYSTEM. 

The blood returning to the lungs laden with impuri- 
ties becomes purified by the oxygen which is supplied 




Fig. 14. 



1. The larynx. 2. The trachea. 3. Bronchial tubes. 
4. Small bronchial tubes. 5. Outline of the lungs. 

by the respiratory system, and also carries off the car- 
bonic acid and certain waste matter. The organs com- 
posing this apparatus include the mouth, nose, larynx, 
trachea, bronchial tubes, and air vesicles, the latter 
composing almost entirely the lung substance. The 



THE RESPIRATORY SYSTEM. 39 

larynx is that portion of the respiratory apparatus in 
which the vocal cords are found, it is easily located, as 
its upper portion forms a projection in front known 
as the " Adam's apple" ; the opening to the larynx is 
guarded by a valve or flap called the epiglottis, which 
prevents food and foreign substances entering the wind- 
pipe. Such a protection becomes necessary, as from 
the throat a second tube runs behind the windpipe 
called the oesophagus or " gullet," and were the open- 
ing from the throat leading to the lungs not guarded, 
food would constantly be going "the wrong way." 
The continuation downward from the larynx of the 
tube for four or five inches is called the trachea or 
windpipe, composed like the larynx of cartilaginous 
rings which preserve the contour of the cylinder at all 
times. The tube from the end of the trachea now 
divides into two branches, the right and left bronchi. 

The bronchi enter the lungs, which are situated 
within the chest, one on either side, and become grad- 
ually smaller, dividing and subdividing until they be- 
come very minute and end in small pouches known as 
air cells or vesicles, which compose nearly all the sub- 
stance of the lungs as stated above. So great is the 
number of these vesicles, that were they to be spread 
out they would cover an area of six hundred square 
feet. We have seen how the blood-vessels from the 
heart also permeate every portion of the lungs, and so 
are intimately connected with the air pouches which are 
composed of a very thin membrane which allows of an 
interchange of gases between them and the blood- 
vessels, explaining as it does the purposes of the two 
systems. 



40 THE RESPIRATORY SYSTEM. 

The lungs, situated on the right and left hand side 
of the spine within the chest, are invested with a mem- 
brane called the pleura, composed of two layers, one of 
which is adherent to the lungs, the other lining the 
chest walls, thus forming a shut sack, one occupying 
the right, the other the left half of the chest cavity. 
The two pleurae do not meet in the middle line of the 




Fig. 15. 

The heart, lungs, and great blood-vessels. 

chest save at one point, leaving a space between them 
which is called the mediastinum, and contains the 
heart. The pleural surfaces secrete a small amount 
of fluid to prevent friction of the two surfaces. 

Although respiration is dependent in the main upon 
the organs mentioned, there are still other structures 



THE RESPIRATORY SYSTEM. 41 

necessary to carry on inspiration and expiration. Dur- 
ing inspiration the air is carried into the lungs aided 
by the diaphragm, a muscle which separates the thora- 
cic cavity from the abdominal, which exerts a suction 
force, and with the elevation of the ribs increases the 
size of the chest and allows the air pouches to become 
inflated. Expiration, or the expulsion of air from the 
lungs, is also effected by elevation of the diaphragm 
and the descent of the ribs. The air we breathe is 
composed of two gases, oxygen and nitrogen, in about 
the proportions of twenty-one parts of oxygen to 
seventy-nine parts of nitrogen. Besides these, there 
are generally some other gases, carbonic acid gas, 
vapors, etc. 

The venous blood, as it is called, which is brought 
back to the lungs full of carbonic acid and other im- 
purities, fills the great area of lung substance by the 
ramifications of the numberless vessels, comes in con- 
tact with the air pouches separated only by their 
delicate membrane ; then an interchange or chemical 
process takes place between the fluid and gases, the 
blood takes from the air some of its oxygen, and the 
air takes some of the carbonic acid and its water. By 
this exchange the blood is relieved of its impurities, 
and receives new vital giving qualities ; after this, the 
blood is bright red in color, called arterial blood, and is 
ready again to start on its circuit of distribution to the 
entire system. 

When spirituous liquors are taken into the stomach, 
they are absorbed by the veins and mixed with blood, 
and carried to the lungs in this fluid and then expelled 
from the body. By this illustration we explain the 



42 THE RESPIRATORY SYSTEM. 

fact, which is familiar to most persons, that the odor 
of different substances is perceptible in the breath long- 
after it has been taken into the mouth. 

Eespiration is more frequent in females and children 
than in adult men. In health, the average number of 
inspirations in a minute by an adult is eighteen. 



CHAPTER IV. 

THE NERVOUS SYSTEM. 

We have noted the wonderful mechanism of the 
bones and muscles, and how admirably they are adapted 
for their various uses. We have learned how the cir- 
culation of the blood is provided for, and of the dis- 
tribution of the blood to even the remotest portion, 
carrying food for each and every tissue, how it is 
returned impure to the lungs to be again regenerated ; 
but as no part of this human machine can move, so to 
speak, without a force, we must now learn how that 
is provided for by a peculiar apparatus called the ner- 
vous system. To simplify the following explanation, 
consider for a moment how the electric current is con- 
veyed from a central station by means of wires to far- 
distant points, and by it many remote places are brought 
into communication with the central station and with 
each other. 

In a certain sense, the nervous system is similar. 
In man, the brain and spinal cord represent the central 
stations, and from them are given off numerous rounded 
and flattened white cords, called nerves, which are dis- 
tributed to every texture of the body, figuratively repre- 
senting the wires spoken of in the example given above. 

The brain, the seat of conscious intelligence, is com- 
posed of a variety of nervous centres, contained within 
the cranium or skull bones. The cerebrum, the cere- 



44 THE NERVOUS SYSTEM. 

bellum, the pons varolii, and the medulla oblongata are 
its principal parts. 

The cerebrum is divided into two egg-shaped masses, 
being separated by a deep groove extending longitudi- 
nally. The cerebrum constitutes four fifths of the 
entire brain. It is composed of gray and white matter, 
of a pulpy character, quite soft in infancy and child- 
hood, but it gradually becomes more and more firm up 
to the fortieth year probably, when it reaches its 
greatest development ; after this period it very slowly 
loses in weight, about one ounce in ten years, until in 
old age the size and function of the brain are appreciably 
diminished. The upper surface of the cerebrum is 
irregular or undulating, formed in folds called convolu- 
tions, separated by fissures furnishing a greater surface 
for the gray matter. 

Although the convolutions and fissures are found 
alike in the brains of animals, they present character- 
istics of the species of animal to which they belong. 
In man they attain a special degree of development, 
giving to the human species the only faculty invariably 
superior to that of animals. The cerebrum is, then, the 
centre of those mental endowments or faculties of 
memory, reason, and judgment. 

The cerebellum or little brain is about one seventh 
as large as the cerebrum ; in structure it resembles it, 
and is connected with it, being situated beneath and at 
the back part of the cranial cavity. The office of the 
cerebellum is to control the movements of the body 
and limbs, that they may be regular and harmonious. 

The pons varolii signifies a bridge, and is composed 
of nerve fibres binding together the cerebrum and 
cerebellum. 



THE NERVOUS SYSTEM. -15 

The medulla oblongata is that portion of the spinal 
cord which is within the skull. It is the bond of nerve 
communication between the spine and brain. The 
nerve fibres, passing from the brain to the spinal cord, 
cross and recross in the medulla oblongata. In this 
manner a nerve fibre beginning on the right side of the 
brain passes on to the left side of the oblongata, be- 
coming mi integral portion of the left side of the cord. 
By this arrangement it is readily understood why an 
injury to one side of the brain causes paralysis on the 
opposite side of the body. 

The most important action of the medulla oblongata 
is its connection with respiration, for upon its integrity 
depends the preservation of this vital function. It also 
.controls the movements by which food is introduced 
within the interior of the body, and the movements of 
articulation. Kespiration goes on without any conscious 
effort on our part ; there is no sense of fatigue from the 
first moment of birth, for it is all controlled by the 
special function of the medulla. The impure blood in 
the lungs and the accumulation of carbonic acid excite 
the nerve centre to action, and thus the movements of 
inspiration are provided for, 

The spinal cord is the elongated rounded portion of 
the nervous system contained in the vertebral or spinal 
canal. It extends from the medulla oblongata nearly 
the whole length of the spinal column, and sends off 
branches or nerves some thirty in number from each 
side to supply the muscles of the trunk and extremities. 
The spinal cord is composed of gray and white matter, 
representing motion and sensation in their functions. 
The spinal cord is divided by a slight groove into two 



40 



THE NERVOUS SYSTEM. 



lateral cords, and each of these lateral cords is again 
divided into three distinct sets of fibres or columns, viz., 
the anterior, posterior, and lateral columns. The ante- 
i , rior are the motor columns, the pos- 

terior are the columns of sensation, 
tod the lateral columns are divided 
in their function between motion and 
sensation. 

The spinal nerves, which are given 
off from the spinal cord, arise by two 
roots, thus containing motor and sen- 
sory "fibres, which unite and are dis- 
tributed to the tissues of the different 
organs, and in their course divide and 
subdivide. 

The spinal cord and nerves act as 
the only medium of communication 
between the brain and the external 
integument and muscles. The motor 
nerves conduct from the brain the 
necessary stimulus to call into action 
the muscles. The sensory nerves, on 
the other hand, transmit to the brain 
all sensations experienced at their ter- 
minal extremities. For example, when 
one pricks a finger, the sensation of 
pain experienced is due to the impres- 
sion made upon a sensory nerve, which 
has been transmitted to the brain, and 
a response is sent back through the motor nerves, 
which causes the muscles to act, and he immediately 
withdraws the part that was hurt. 



Fig. 16. 

Front view of the 
brain and spinal cord, 
and spin al nerves 
issuing therefrom. 



THE NERVOUS SYSTEM. 47 

Besides the spinal nerves, there is still another class 
called cranial nerves, consisting of twelve pairs, which 
are given off from the under surface of the brain, with 
the exception of three pairs; the cranial nerves present 
many analogies, both anatomically and physiologically, 
with the spinal nerves. The three pairs mentioned as 
being unlike the spinal nerves are therefore called 
nerves of special sensation ; they are the so-called olfac- 
tory, optic, and auditory nerves. The first supplies the 
sense of smell, the second the sense of sight, and the 
third supplies the sense of hearing. The remaining nine 
pairs are analogous to the spinal nerves in function, and 
supply motion and sensation to the muscular apparatus 
and the integument or mucous membrane of different 
regions. 

The brain and spinal cord are each enveloped by a 
closed sack, similarly as the heart and lungs. 

Sympathetic System. 

Nature has supplied us with another system of 
nerve force called the sympathetic, through the agency 
of which the human organism is kept in perfect accord, 
regulating as it does the proper distribution of blood 
and nourishment to the tissues, that the vital forces 
may be fed without being under the control of the 
will. There is no portion of our bodies but that comes 
under its influence to a certain extent. Anatomically, 
the sympathetic system is unlike the cerebro-spinal 
apparatus, consisting, as it does, of a double chain of 
little bodies called ganglia, extending throughout the 
great cavities of the body; from the cranium it extends 
downwards on each side of the vertebral column, 



48 THE NERVOUS SYSTEM. 

receiving throughout its course connecting fibres from 
the spine. It brings the different organs into com- 
munication with one another; thus one organ takes 
cognizance of the condition of every other. For ex- 
ample, if the brain is the seat of disease, the stomach 
by its sympathetic connection knows it, and vomiting 
often follows. So, too, the sight of blood may cause 
fainting. 



CHAPTEE V. 
THE DIGESTIVE ORGANS. 

The alimentary tube, as it is called, consists of a 
number of organs provided for the purposes of receiving 
food and drink, and that they may be digested and 
assimilated, and likewise provides for the elimination 
of those portions not needed for nutrition. 

The alimentary tube is about thirty feet long, 
extending from the mouth to the back passage or anus. 
Throughout its course it receives various names; as we 
have said, it begins at the mouth providing for the 
mastication of food, the teeth separating it, and moist- 
ened by an alkaline secretion known as the saliva or 
spittle,, which is poured out or furnished by three 
glands called salivary glands, and designated by the 
names parotid, submaxillary, and sublingual. These 
glands communicate by small ducts or tubes with the 
mouth; the parotid is the largest, and is located behind 
the angle of the jaw. Its position is easily recog- 
nized when one sees a case of mumps, as the enlarge- 
ment of the gland shows the seat of the disease. 

The submaxillary is situated beneath the under jaw, 
and the sublingual under the tongue. The proper mas 
tication of the food aids greatly in its digestion, and if 
hastily and improperly performed, the digestive organs 
sooner or later must be weakened. One of the most 
frequent habits we meet in those who hurriedly swallow 



50 THE DIGESTIVE ORGANS. 

their food is the frequent drinking, to hasten the pas- 
sage of the food from the mouth; it therefore is not 
thoroughly mixed with the saliva, nor is it sufficiently 
minute to be readily acted on by the stomach juices. 
The next division of the tube is called the pharynx 
or throat, and next the oesophagus or gullet; these 
parts perform the acts of swallowing and convey the 
food into that part of the alimentary tube known as the 
stomach, which is one of the principal organs of diges- 
tion. It resembles a large pouch or bagpipe, having 
two openings, one on the left side, which is continuous 
with the lower end of the oesophagus, and is called the 
cardiac opening; the other is the outlet or pyloric open- 
ing; this is guarded by a valve-like process called the 
pylorus or " gate-keeper." The stomach is somewhat- 
elongated, measuring fourteen inches in length and 
five inches in diameter, capable of holding about five 
pints. It lies crosswise in the abdominal cavity, a little 
below the diaphragm. The structure of the stomach is 
partly muscular, partly fibrous tissue, and lined, as all 
the alimentary tract is, with mucous membrane ; by 
this combination, the stomach has motion which 
resembles "churning." The mucous membrane of the 
stomach is like honeycomb, and opening into the 
little depressions are small tubes which pour out a 
digestive fluid called gastric juice, which aids the diges- 
tion already begun in the process of mastication. We 
have spoken of the opening guarded by the pylorus; 
from this point the alimentary tract is called the small 
intestine; it is sixteen feet long and about one inch in 
diameter, and has received different names throughout 
its extent, the duodenum, the jejunum and ileum. In 



THE DIGESTIVE ORGANS. 



51 



the duodenum, which is that part of the small intestine 
just beyond the stomach, are situated the orifices of the 
duct, which communicates with the liver and the one 
from the pancreas. 
The duodenum is so 
called because it is 
about equal in length 
to the breadth of twelve 
fingers. The small in- 
testine is also provided 
with glands which yield 
secretions for continued 
digestion of the food. 
The ileum is the ter- 
mination of the small 
intestine; and now be- 
gins another division of 
the alimentary tract 
called the large intes- 
tine, which it will be 
seen by reference to 
Fig. IT commences on 
the right side of the 
abdomen ascending to 
the under surface of 
the liver, passes direct- Fi s- x ~- 

1. The oesophagus. 2. The cardiac end of 
ly aCrOSS the abdomen the stomach. 3. The pyloric opening of the 

stomach. 4. The duodenum. 5. Inside of the 




to the left side 



r|p_ stomach. 6. The gall hladder. 7. Hepatic 
ducts in the liver. 8. Pancreatic duct. 9. Up- 



QPPTirHno- nn +Vii'q qi'^p tr\ per part of the J e J umu »- 10 - The ileum. 11. 

bCeilUlllg Oil tlllb blue tO p 0C ket. 12,13. Ascending colon. 14. Trans- 

, ., , , . , verse colon. 15,16. Descending colon. 17,18. 

aDOUt tile level OI the Rectum. 19. The anus. 

hip, then directed toward the median line to the anus 
or back passage. The large intestine differs from the 



52 



THE DIGESTIVE ORGANS. 



small intestine in being of greater size and in furnishing 
but little digestive power. It is more a receptacle 
and carrier of waste material. The "pocket" is a small 
projection from the lower rounded extremity of the 
large intestine, and into which small seeds sometimes 
find entrance, causing inflammation and often death. 




Fig. 18. 

Position of abdominal contents, the liver turned 
upwards. 1. Stomach. 2. Liver. 3. Intestines. 

We have traced the various windings of the ali- 
mentary canal, and learned the names of its various 
divisions and in a general way pointed out their uses. 
The food in its passage from above downwards first 
meets with the saliva in the mouth, the gastric juice 
in the stomach, the intestinal juice with the addition 



THE DIGESTIVE ORGANS. 53 

of the secretion from the liver called bile, and the pan- 
creatic fluid. These fluids, not always simple, but the 
combination of several secretions, together exert a com- 
bined force on the substances we eat, reducing them 
to a fluid state, thereby fitting them for absorption. 

The Liver. 




Fig. 19. 

Under surface of the liver. 1. Right lobe. 2. Left lobe. 3. Great blood- 
vessel. 4. Gall-bladder, q. Artery. 6. Bile duct. 7. Vein. 

The liver is the largest gland in the body. It is to 
be noted that it is called the largest gland. It is to be 
remembered that the office of all glands is to secrete 
or pour out a fluid ; the liver, therefore, is a gland 
which furnishes bile, which is conveyed through a duct 
emptying into the duodenum as before stated. In size 
the liver occupies a space represented by the foUowing 
boundaries : starting from about two inches below the 
nipple extending downwards to the lower border of 
the ribs, then across the abdomen to just above the 
navel, the line is to the left of the centre, back to 



54: 



THE DIGESTIVE ORGANS. 



the starting-point. The liver is smooth on its surface, 
with rounded edges, and weighs about four pounds. 
The liver has three important functions : it forms 
sugar, which is converted into other substances, and 
this helps to generate body heat ; it also discharges 
waste materials from the system, being supplied with 
venous and arterial blood ; and, finally, it secretes bile, 
a yellowish, alkaline bitter fluid. On the under surface 
of the liver is a pouch or sack, which serves as a reser- 
voir for bile, and known as the gall-bladder. 




The Pancreas. 

The pancreas or "sweetbread," another glandular 
structure, is situated transversely across the abdomen ; 

one end lies with- 
in the curve of 
the duodenum, 
the other extends 
to the left as far 
as the spleen. It 
is traversed lon- 
gitudinally by a 
duct which ojDens 
into the duodenum, and thus the secretion of the organ, 
called pancreatic fluid, is poured into the small intes- 
tine. The special function of this juice is to emulsify 
the fatty substances contained in our food. By this 
process, the fats lose their characteristic appearance, 
becoming converted into a white opaque emulsion 
termed chyle, which is absorbed by glands called lac- 
teals, or milk carriers, on account of their white appear- 
ance when filled with chyle. 



Fig. 20. 



1. The spleen. 2. The pancreas, 
duodenum. 4. Arteries and veins. 



3. Portion of the 



THE DIGESTIVE ORGANS. 55 

The lymphatics, also called absorbents, are small, 
round bodies or glands distributed throughout the body, 
receiving the name of lacteals in the small intestines. 
Most of these, connected indirectly with one another, 
carry the chyle to a reservoir or receptacle known as 
the receptaculum chyle, which is situated in front of 
the second lumbar vertebra, and from this point the 
chyle is carried by a prolonged tube extending upwards 
to the left side of the chest cavity, when it enrpties into 
a large blood-vessel on the same side. 

The organs described in this chapter provide for the 
mastication and digestion of food, the liver not only 
aiding in furnishing one ingredient of the digestive 
juices, but by its peculiar structure also provides for 
the absorption of certain nutritive elements, while the 
remainder of the elements are taken into the circulation 
also by means of the lymphatics just described. In this 
way they accomplish finally the object of digestion, 
and replenish the blood by a supply of new materials 
from without. 



CHAPTER VI. 

THE KIDNEYS, BLADDER, SKIN, AND 
PERITONEUM. 



The Kidneys. 

The kidneys are organs of excretion, and consist 
of two tubular glands which are intended for the 
secretion of urine. They are 
located in the back part of the 
abdominal cavity, one on each 
side of the spine, and extend 
from the eleventh rib to the 
crest of the ileum or hip ; the 
right being a lit- 
tle lower than 
the left, owing to 
the large space 
occupied by the 
liver. Each kid- 
ney is about four 
inches long, two 
inches wide, and 

Fig. 23. 

Olie inch thick : A vertical section of 
the left kidney. 1. Pyra- 

in shape they re- niids or tubular stmc- 

1 J tine. 2. Pelvis of the 

semble a bean. Mdne ?- 3. The ureter. 
The kidneys provide another 

Fig. 21. 

Diagram showing the posi- mean s of elimination of waste 

tion of the heart; the curved j ± £ ii ± j-i 

line below it represents the products from the system ; the 

diaphragm ; the kidnev at the . " _ 

back with the ureter. * blood circulates very freely 





THE KIDNEYS, BLADDER, SKIN, AND PERITONEUM. 57 



through them, and by a process not unlike the distil- 
lation of water, a fluid is extracted from it which is 
called urine, which drops from these different stills as 
we will call them for example, and caught in the 
basin or pelvis of the kidneys, from which it escapes 
through tubes called ureters, one from each kidney ex- 
tending downwards to the bladder, which is situated 
behind the pubic bone. 

The Bladder. 
The bladder or receptacle for the urine is a sack 
capable of holding about a pint, though it may hold a 
good deal more. It 
is composed of mus- 
cular and fibrous 
tissue, lined with 
mucous membrane. 
When a sufficient 
amount of urine is 
accumulated, there 
comes a desire to be 
relieved, and it is ac- 
complished through 
the contraction of its 
muscular walls ; and 
the muscle which, 
when contracted, 
closes the outlet, is 
now relaxed and permits the escape of urine. 

The Skin. 
The skin is the outer covering of the framework 
and the deeper tissues ; besides covering the body, it is 




Fig. 23. 

1. The kidneys. 2. The ureters in their course 
to the bladder. 3. The bladder. 



58 THE KIDNEYS, BLADDER, SKIN, AND PERITONEUM. 



an organ of touch ; but, besides this, it acts as another 
means of carrying off much of the waste of the system, 
in the form of perspiration and some oily fluid ; it, on 
the other hand, absorbs matters from without the body. 
This is manifest if ointments are used externally. 

The skin, which appears so simple, is composed of 
two layers ; the external layer is known as the epider- 
mis or false skin, 
while the internal is 
called the cutis or 
derma corium, or true 
skin. The epidermis 
is not sensitive ; we 
can often prick it, as 
at the corners of the 
fingers where it is 
thick, without pro- 
ducing any sensation ; 
it has no nerves or 
blood - vessels, but it 
protects from violence 
the underlying true 
skin, the derma, which 
is richly supplied with 
blood-vessels, nerves, 
and lymphatics. The upper surface of the derma pre- 
sents small elevations called papillae, which are essen- 
tially the organs of touch. Situated in the lower strata 
of the derma are numerous glands which are known 
according to their secretions as the sebaceous or oil 
glands, the sudoriferous or sweat glands ; the former 
keep the skin soft and oily, and most frequently connect 




Fig. 24. 

Magnified section of the skin. 1. Epidermis. 
2. True skin. 3. Fat. 4, 4. Two sweat glands. 
5, 5. Their spiral canals. 6, 6. Hair follicles. 
7, 7. Sebaceous glands. 8, 8. Openings of seba- 
ceous glands into hair follicles. 9, 9. Roote 
of hairs. 



THE KIDNEYS, BLADDER, SKIN, AND PERITONEUM. 59 

with the hair follicles, though occasionally open directly 
on the skin ; as, for example, on the nose slight de- 
pressions may be seen filled with minute particles ; 
these are sebaceous glands. 

The sudoriferous or sweat glands provide for the 
escape of much waste material through the perspiration; 
they also tend to regulate the heat of the body ; there is 
estimated to be two million three hundred and eighty- 
one thousand two hundred and forty- eight sweat glands 
in the whole integument. Upon the proper integrity 
of the skin depends in a great measure the general 
health of the whole body, and as important as the kid- 
neys as an eliminating agent, hence it is of the utmost 
importance that great care should be bestowed on one's 
clothing and bathing, and to remember that any sudden 
checking of perspiration throws out of harmony the ex- 
cretion of the glands in question, and indirectly affects 
the lungs and other internal organs. So important are 
the functions of the skin, that we cannot be too well 
informed of its characteristics. It is related that some 
ignorant people, who were to celebrate a church event, 
desired to have a golden figure, and so they covered the 
whole integument of a boy with gold-leaf, thus closing 
the surface of the skin entirely, and thereby caused his 
death in a few hours. The varying conditions of the 
atmosphere influence the activity of the skin. Heat 
increases this action, and evaporation is therefore more 
rapid than in cold weather. 

In this work of perspiration, the inner skin performs 
all the active duty, as ready evaporation is the basis of 
the physiological relief to the overheated system ; it 
therefore is important to have proper access of air. 



00 THE KIDNEYS, BLADDER, SKIN, AND PERITONEUM. 

When this does not occur, as, for example, when rubber 
garments and shoes are worn, the air is kept out, and 
the skin is bathed in perspiration unable to evaporate. 
Besides this excretory function, the skin also absorbs. 

1 have read of a case of a man who, from disease of the 
throat, was unable to swallow anything, and he grew 
gradually weaker until he was put into a bath-tub filled 
with milk and water; the skin absorbed a sufficient 
amount to sustain him. The hairs and nails are consid- 
ered appendages of the skin. The hairs are found on 
nearly every part of the integument, though not 
markedly visible throughout the body ; each hair is a 
tube, and has a root embedded in the true skin, originat- 
ing from a bulbous extremity called the follicle; each 
hair-tube has a muscular connection, and it is the con- 
traction of such fibres which causes the hair to stand on 
end as it is called, or known as "goose flesh.'' 

The Peritoneum. 

The peritoneum is the sack or covering which is 
spread around the abdominal organs. It is a very 
thin, delicate membrane, and is very liable to be the 
seat of inflammatory processes. 

How frequently we hear of peritonitis ! It is an 
acute or chronic inflammation of the peritoneum. The 
termination "itis" means inflammation, and when 
affixed to the anatomical name of a structure signifies 
an inflammation of it ; hence, pleuritis is inflammation 
of the pleura ; meningitis, inflammation of the meninges 
of the brain ; pericarditis, inflammation of the pericar- 
dium, etc. 



CHAPTER VII. 
EXTERNAL INJURIES. 

Contusions. 

Contusions or bruises include injuries to any portion 
of the body and unaccompanied by breaking of the skin, 
resulting from falls or blows from a blunt instrument. 
The blood-vessels only are ruptured in this class of inju- 
ries, and result in causing discoloration of the skin and 
swelling. The color changes in hue from red to blue 
or black, and finally assumes a natural color again. 
Simple contusions or bruises seldom require treatment ; 
while others, by the extensive amount of subcutaneous 
hemorrhage, a softening of the skin takes place, causing 
death of the surrounding parts ; this condition usually 
follows deep-seated injuries, and in fact may require the 
attention of a surgeon, for it sometimes happens that 
what at first appeared but a simple discoloration of the 
skin, and thought to be only a bruise, later on, by the 
gravity of the symptoms, we find we have to deal with 
a rupture of deep arteries, and they must be cut down 
upon and tied. 

Treatment. — For slight contusions, it is best to 
apply a compress saturated with a solution of water and 
arnica, in the proportion of one teaspoonful of the tinc- 
ture of arnica in a tumblerful of water, and likewise 
administer Arnica internally. If the injury is a severe 
one, and a great amount of hemorrhage takes place 



62 EXTERNAL INJURIES. 

under the skin, it is better to use hot water in bags and 
applied over a light bandage, and keep the part elevated 
as much as possible and quiet. If pus seems to be form- 
ing, give Hepar Sulphur internally. If there is marked 
pain from touch, or the wound looks red, with radiating 
red streaks, give Euta. If the symptoms do not indicate 
a satisfactory state, and if fever, increased area of sore- 
ness about the seat of injury ensue, it is indicatory of 
some complication, and demands treatment by a surgeon. 

A word of caution should be given here regarding 
the use of arnica externally. It is a very poisonous drug 
if improperly used ; and while efficacious in all cases of 
bruises when no rupture of the skin occurs, it may be 
provocative of a great deal of trouble if it is used when 
the skin is broken, either by a sloughing of the tissues, 
or any other cause. If there should ensue an erysipela- 
tous appearance from its application, Camphor should 
be used externally as an antidote. Bruises about the 
eyes from a blow, or any blunt instrument, should be 
treated as above mentioned. Thoroughly rubbing the 
bruised surfaces with sweet oil will often prevent discol- 
oration, if done at once, and the force of the blow was 
not severe. 

Children often bump their heads, and in falling strike 
the head, which may prove serious. Vomiting may 
follow. Though not a bad symptom in itself, when 
with dizziness or a continuation of the nausea, pains in 
the head, dilated pupils, and fever with drowsiness, we 
must think of inflammation of the brain, and at first 
probably Belladonna or Hyosciamus would be indicated, 
but here too is a condition requiring prompt aid from a 
homoeopathic physician. 



EXTERNAL INJURIES. 63 

Sprains. 

After a fall, a joint may be wrenched or twisted ; 
the tendons are stretched and sometimes even tearing 
of the tendons and sheath of the affected parts. They 
most frequently occur at the wrist or ankle. The 
symptoms are well known, — swelling, pain, and inabil- 
ity to move the joint except with great suffering. We 
expect in a broken bone to find increased mobility on 
account of the fracture, which is not found in a sprain ; 
from a dislocation we recognize a sprain, for in the 
former we see a marked deformity and fixation of the 
joint. It is an old saying, "A sprain is often worse 
than a broken bone," and it is very true ; they may give 
trouble for a long time, and occasionally are followed 
by permanent stiffness of the joint. 

Treatment. — If the patient be seen at once, im- 
merse the parts in hot water and let them remain from 
half an hour to an hour, adding hotter water as it can 
be borne ; then rub dry and apply a bandage ; keep the 
joint quiet and elevated ; repeat the soaking twice a 
day for a while. After the acute symptoms have 
abated, gentle friction should be substituted. Mas- 
sage is also very valuable. At this stage it is important 
that gentle movement should be commenced and grad- 
ually increased until the function of the part is re-estab- 
lished. Internal medication is of benefit. Grive Arnica 
if lameness and soreness alone exist ; Symphytum if 
any spot becomes very soft. If the swelling continues, 
and pits on pressure, give Sambucus. 

"Wounds. 
Wounds in a general sense comprehend a division 
of laceration of tissues, and are classified as follows : 



6-i EXTERNAL INJURIES. 

incised, punctured, poisoned, and those resulting from 
gunshots. 

Incised wounds are those inflicted by sharp cutting 
instruments, as knives or razors ; glass also may make 
a wound of this class. The edges of wounds of this 
form, when applied to each other, come together 
closely. Incised wounds bleed more freely than any 
other. 

Punctured wounds are inflicted by sharp-pointed 
substances or weapons, as daggers and arrows or nails; 
the external opening is small, and therefore this class 
of wounds is often attended with great danger, as they 
are deep and penetrate to vital parts. 

Poisoned wounds include those caused by the intro- 
duction of some virus into the tissues, as in a snake-bite 
or the bite of a rabid dog. 

Gunshot tvounds, as the name implies, include the 
great variety of injuries resulting from the explosion of 
gunpowder ; the primary cause being due to bullets or 
other missiles, splinters of wood and other foreign sub- 
stances. One of the greatest dangers resulting from 
such wounds is the hemorrhage, especially as it is apt 
to be internal ; also from blood poisoning. It is a sig- 
nificant fact that bullets have been known to remain 
buried in the tissues of the body for years, and yet 
cause no serious results. Foreign substances are often 
carried into the body by bullets, and are an additional 
source of danger. 

Treatment of Wounds. — According to the nature 
of the wound depends the course of treatment to fol- 
low. The healing of wounds is divided into two general 
classes, either by primary union or as it is called by 



EXTERNAL INJURIES. 65 

first intention, or by granulation or second intention. 
Whenever the edges of a wound are clean-cut and can 
be coaptated accurately, and are held in that position' 
either by sutures or adhesive strips, the two surfaces 
quickly unite, and leave only a line or scar. This is 
called union by first intention. On the other hand, if 
the edges of a wound are jagged, or there is loss of 
substance, then they can only be closed by granulation, 
or union by second intention. In the treatment of 
wounds to-day, the antiseptic method is most popular ; 
surgeons believing now that the air is full of minute 
creatures called germs or bacteria, which infect wounds 
unless some solution is used which will protect the cut 
surfaces by killing the germs. While, this is doubtless 
true, still the successes of modern surgery are due in no 
small degree to a stricter regard to cleanliness both of 
the hands and instruments which come in contact with 
the tissues, and in the subsequent changing of the 
dressings. 

The first thing to do when treating a wound is to 
arrest the hemorrhage ; then carefully examine the 
wound and remove all foreign substances, wash it thor- 
oughly with hot water. If it is an incised wound, 
bring the edges closely together, and retain them either 
by adhesive straps or better by sutures of catgut ; then 
apply a compress and bandage, not too tightly. If the 
wound is on a hairy portion, its edges should be shaved, 
as the hairs prevent perfect healing and collect filth. 
If adhesive strips are used, leave spaces between 
them. Keep the parts quiet so that no gaping of 
the edges may occur. If no pain, fever, or offen- 
sive discharge occurs, allow the dressings to remain 



66 EXTERNAL INJURIES. 

until healed, or any unfavorable symptom shows 
itself. 

Lacerated or punctured wounds should not be closed. 
First cleanse, then apply a soft pad, and as they nearly 
always heal by granulations, which cause a discharge, 
the dressings must be renewed often. Slight pressure 
on the sides will materially aid the healing process. In 
gunshot wounds always try to arrest the hemorrhage 
first, then protect the cavity from the air. No attempt 
to probe for the missile should be made, except by a 
surgeon. 

Snake-bites should be encouraged to bleed, and the 
poison removed by suction. If the wound is on an ex- 
tremity, apply a tight bandage between the wound and 
the heart, or elevate the extremity, and in this manner 
retard the absorption of the poison into the system. Do 
not allow the pressure, which of necessity must be great, 
to continue too long, as serious interference of the cir- 
culation may take place in the parts below the bandage. 
Keep the patient as quiet as possible. If marked de- 
pression follows the absorption of the poison, administer 
stimulants cautiously. If there is persistent vomiting, 
the sharp, shooting pains grow worse and the spots turn 
blue, give a dose of Arsenicum, and wait for an hour or 
two for improvement ; if benefited by the remedy, then 
do not repeat. If no benefit results, now give Bella- 
donna. Wounds caused by the bite of a dog supposed 
to be rabid are treated about the same as those of snake- 
bites. If suction is impossible or impracticable, heat 
should be applied, either by a piece of wire heated red- 
hot, or if nothing better is at hand,, a lighted cigar may 
be used. Care should be taken that verv little skin 



EXTERNAL INJURIES. 67 

around the wound is burned, which can be prevented 
by anointing the skin with fats or soap. This latter 
procedure is applicable to bites of venomous snakes as 
well as wounds caused by a rabid dog. The medicinal 
treatment of these two varieties of wounds is limited, 
for should alarming symptoms continue from the first, 
or ensue later on, the physician alone can render what 
aid is possible. 

Wounds of the abdominal walls are not always as 
desperate as they appear, though it is often difficult to* 
ascertain at once the extent of the injury. If the intes- 
tines protrude and no laceration in them is seen, care- 
fully and gently wash them with hot water, and see to 
it that they are handled with clean hands ; if not injured, 
replace the intestines slowly and carefully, and cover the 
opening through which they protruded with a soft but 
firm pad. If it is discovered that the bowels are pene- 
trated, do not try to replace them, but simply wash 
carefully and support them gently to prevent further 
escape, and wait until a surgeon is at hand ; keep the 
patient in a recumbent position. Wounds of the chest 
or thorax often implicate the lungs in the injury, which 
will be recognized by coughing, pain, spitting of blood, 
and the escape of air through the opening ; when such 
a condition is met with, immediately cover the wound 
and apply a firm bandage ; keep the patient in a recum- 
bent position, and warn him not to attempt to use the 
voice ; give no hot drinks. 

Subsequent Treatment. — It is important to be able 
to render prompt aid to the injured, but it is often quite 
as necessary to know how to continue the subsequent 
treatment. The diet is of importance, avoiding stimu- 



68 EXTERNAL INJURIES. 

lating articles of food, too much salt and condiments 
generally ; allow the patient plenty of water ; enjoin 
him to keep as quiet as possible, both in mind and 
body. Should the dressings cause pain, they should 
be loosened or reapplied; all wounds over a bone, as 
on the knee, elbow, or finger joints, should not be 
sewed up, but lightly bandaged, and motion pre- 
vented by splints for a few days; should stitches be 
taken they will probably tear out, and closure of the 
♦wound may cause suppuration, which will involve 
the joint. The following general rule is to be observed 
in all wounds : do not remove the dressings until heal- 
ing is complete, unless there is a profuse discharge, 
as in wounds of the second variety, or there is pain 
ancf fever. 

Eemedies. — The duration of the healing process and 
its attendant troubles may be favorably influenced by 
the administration of internal remedies. Give Aconite, 
if fever, great restlessness, and dry skin are present ; 
if there is great nervous excitement with restlessness, 
give Coffea ; if there has been a great loss of blood, 
and the patient is pale and weak in consequence, 
Cinchona, 

Apis mel., if punctured wound becomes very sensi- 
tive to touch. 

Ehus tox. , if the redness runs down the legs or arms 
in stripes, will follow well. 

Arnica, for bruised, sore feeling, if the parts affected 
are blue and brown. 

Calendula, for cut wounds, especially where the 
healing takes place by granulation ; great pain in the 
parts when moving, even after being dressed. 



EXTERNAL INJURIES. 69 

Staphisagria, for incised wounds that are clean cut, 
or after any surgical operation, when pains occur as a 
result of the cutting. 

Hypericum, for wounds caused by punctures either 
from nails or blunt-pointed instruments. The pain is 
violent, and radiates from the point of injury. 



CHAPTER VIII. 

BURNS, SCALDS, AND FROSTBITES. 

Burns may cause either a simple redness of the skin 
or the formation of blisters, and also a greater or less 
destruction of the tissues by charring or sloughing. 
Burns which occasion only a redness of the skin, with 
or without forming blisters, are not usually serious, 
although should one half or more of the surface of the 
body be involved, a fatal result may follow. Imme- 
diately after a burn, the temperature of the body falls, 
which is followed by reaction and fever. When deep 
sloughs occur, and they heal by granulation, the de- 
formity may be marked, and the contraction of the 
tissues will interfere with the mobility of the parts. 
It is evident that according to the severity of the burn 
depends the kind of treatment. For simple cases, it is 
best to place the part to the heat ; never put it in cold 
water, or apply to it cooling substances ; they have 
often caused the formation of blisters and ulcers. The 
application of heat is not always practical however, 
especially if the surface be large, or in the case of chil- 
dren, it is too painful ; hence other remedies have to be 
used. If the burn is of any considerable size, first cover 
the patient warmly and give a hot drink ; after reaction 
is established, examine the extent of the injury. If 
the burned surface covers a large area, but is not deep, 
cover it with absorbent cotton, spreading it over in 
layers ; another very useful application in simple burns 



BURNS, SCALDS, AXD FROSTBITES. 71 

is a mixture of sweet oil and the white of egg, beaten 
together thoroughly and painted over the surface of the 
wound ; this forms a false skin, which excludes the air, 
and whatever dressing is used, this is the important 
thing to do. Simple baking soda spread on the burnt 
surface, and covered with a damp cloth, is also useful. 

Tincture of Cantharis, in the proportion of three 
drops of the tincture to half a tumbler of water, will 
remove the smarting and pain in burns very quickly. 
It may be applied by dipping pieces of old linen into the 
solution and placing them on the seat of injury, repeat- 
ing the operation two or three times daily. The same 
remedy, very much diluted and taken internally, will 
relieve the pain of burns caused by taking too hot food 
in the mouth, throat, or stomach. Burns from acids 
require alkaline solutions, such as lime-water, or chalk 
and water mixed. If caused by an alkali like potash, 
vinegar will prove efficacious, also scraped apples will 
relieve burns caused by alkalies. 

If blisters form after a burn or scald, they should 
be pricked, and the contents aUowed to escape, then 
dressed, and vaseline or some other oily substance 
applied. When removing the dressing, care should be 
taken that it is done gently. 

In burns when there is an unhealthy condition, the 
odor is offensive and the deeper tissues are involved, 
poultices of charcoal are used, until the wound becomes 
healthy in appearance ; then sweet oil or vaseline dress- 
ing is to be used. 

In using external application for burns, care must 
be exercised in their selection ; under no circumstances 
should lead preparations be used, as they are quickly 



<2 BURNS, SCALDS, AND FROSTBITES. 

absorbed and add to the trouble a medicinal poisoning, 
which might prove fatal. 

Scalds should be treated the same as simple burns. 
If the clothing of a person catches fire, he should at 
once be enveloped in a blanket, mat, coat, carpet, or 
anything in fact that may be at hand that would resist 
the flames. If nothing is at hand, and the patient is a 
woman, roll her over and over on the floor to smother 
the flames. After the flames are extinguished, great 
care must be exercised in examining the patient ; do 
not remove the clothing hastily, as there is great 
danger of pulling off the skin, thereby adding to the 
trouble. 

Frostbites. 

After prolonged exposure of the body to very cold 
air, either parts of the body are frozen, or the person is 
overcome, and being drowsy, desires to sleep. To yield 
to the impulse might prove fatal. The body becomes 
stiff or white. In either condition, do not allow the 
patient to enter a warm room, neither should warmth 
be applied to the body ; rather should he be rubbed with 
snow, ice, or cold water, and very gradually allow him 
to approach the warmth. Unless the patient is uncon- 
scious, administer hot milk for nourishment and stimu- 
lation ; if, however, he is unconscious, nutrient enema 
should be given by the rectum. Should there appear 
upon the body dark bluish or mottled spots, they would 
be evidence of the condition known as gangrene, and 
would call for prompt and skilful treatment. 



CHAPTEE IX. 
HEMORRHAGE. 

Hemorrhage is the escape of blood resulting from 
an injury to a blood-vessel, and is designated as arterial, 
venous, or capillary. The current of blood through 
the arteries is from the heart ; therefore when an 
artery is injured, the blood issues in spurts or jets, and 
has a bright red color. 

In hemorrhage from a vein, the blood flows from 
the wound in a slow, steady stream, the color being- 
dark blue or purple. Capillary hemorrhage is recog- 
nized by the blood oozing from the surface of the 
wound, and not from one point as in arterial or 
venous hemorrhage. It is necessary that the above 
characters of the various kinds of hemorrhage should 
be understood, in order that the proper means of con- 
trolling it may be instituted in time of need. Nature 
has provided means for stopping hemorrhage by the 
contraction which takes place in the divided vessel and 
the coagulation of the blood, forming clots which aid in 
preventing the further escape of blood. In some per- 
sons a condition of the blood exists which retards or 
prevents the formation of a clot ; for this reason, such 
persons bleed profusely from even a slight wound, as 
the extraction of a tooth, for example. When a blood- 
vessel is not entirely severed, contraction of its coats 
cannot take place, and the hemorrhage is more per- 
sistent. Jagged wounds bleed less than clean-cut ones, 



74: 



HEMORRHAGE. 



as a rule. The artificial means of stopping hemorrhage 
are as follows : position, pressure, cold and heat, and 
rest. 

Arterial hemorrhage may he controlled hy position. 
As the current of blood flows from the heart, it is evi- 
dent that elevating the injured part, the current of 




Fig. 25. 

Diagram showing the method of controlling hemorrhage by pressure. 

arterial blood in the vicinity of the w^ound will be im- 
peded. Pressure as a means of controlling hemorrhage 
is next to tying. It may be applied either directly to 
the bleeding surface or along the course of the artery. 
In the latter instance, the pressure should always be 
made between the wound and the heart. Pressure may 
be applied as in the first-named instance by the fingers, 
or by packing the wound with clean pads of lint or 
absorbent cotton, and a bandage to hold it firmly in 
position ; this is the best method to employ. If some 
time must elapse before a surgeon can be present, or 
the patient is to be moved, pressure by the fingers can 
be maintained but a short while, and therefore is not 
as effective as other means. 

A tourniquet is used by surgeons to arrest hemor- 
rhage, and one may be easily extemporized by folding a 
large handkerchief in the form of a cravat, placing be- 
tween the folds a smooth stone, a piece of cork or wood, 



HEMORRHAGE. 



•75 




or a good- sized knot may be tied in the handkerchief ; 
the handkerchief is then bound loosely around the limb 
and tied, the portion acting as a pad being placed over 
the artery, be- 
tween the wound 
and the heart, and 
held securely in 
this position, while 
a stick, cane, um- 
brella, etc., should 
be passed between 

the handkerchief Representation of an extemporized tourniquet. 

and the skin at the side of the limb opposite the pad, 
and gradually twisted until the hemorrhage ceases. 
Care should be taken that this pressure is not main- 
tained too long, which will be indicated if the parts 
below the constriction grow blue or swelling occurs. 
Under such circumstances, relinquish the pressure for a 
time, or substitute pressure by the fingers. Besides the 
handkerchief, suspenders, parts of clothing, ropes, etc., 
may be used for a tourniquet. 

Venous hemorrhage is controlled likewise by pres- 
sure, but the constriction should be applied below the 
wound, farther from the heart. Kemove all impedi- 
ments between the wound and the heart, as garters, 
tight clothing, etc. , that retard the flow of blood. Posi- 
tion and compress may be applied as in arterial hem- 
orrhage. Cold is a valuable means of controlling venous 
and capillary hemorrhage. Hot applications are like- 
wise good. Eest is very important in all forms of hem- 
orrhage, as it favors the formation of clots, and lessens 
the pressure of the blood current. In order to be able to 



HEMORRHAGE. 




apply pressure for the proper 
control of hemorrhage, it is 
essential to know the posi- 
tion of certain arteries, and 
their relation to surrounding 
structures. 

Severe hemorrhages pro- 
duce marked constitutional 
symptoms, as pallor of the 
face, lips, and surface of the 
body, the skin being often 
cold and clammy, sighing 
breathing, and great exhaus- 
tion, ringing in the ears, 
dimness of vision, even un- 
consciousness. The severity 
of these symptoms depends 
upon the amount of blood 
lost. Hemorrhage from scalp 
wounds, though seldom se- 
vere, may be readily checked 
by tying together locks of 
hair over the wound, or by 
the means above mentioned. 
Besides the mechanical treat- 
ment of hemorrhage, internal 
medication is of benefit. 
Under their proper headings 
will be found remedies for 
hemorrhage from internal 
organs. After great loss of 
blood, China is very effica- 
cious, administered internally. 



Fig. 27. 

Diagram showing the position of the 
important arteries. 



CHAPTER X. 



FRACTURES AND DISLOCATIONS. 



Fractures. 

Fractures or broken bones require treatment by the 
most skilful surgeons. On this account, only a few- 
practical hints will be given, which, if remembered at 
the time of an emergency, will render material comfort 
to the unfortunate. We recognize a fracture by the 
deformity, increased mobility, the grating sound called 
crepitus, pain, and loss of function. The important 
consideration when treating any fracture is to replace 
the broken ends, and then keep them in place ; this is 




Fig. 28. 

A piece of wood used as temporary splint in fracture of tke leg. 

done by supports called splints. Although it is better to 
have a fracture properly treated at once, it should be 
borne in mind that the knitting process does not begin 
for several days after the injury, so it is preferable to 
wait for skilled attention, rather than accept unskilful 
manipulation. It is as a rule safer not to move an 



i 8 FRACTURES AM) DISLOCATIONS. 

injured person from the position in which he is found, 
until a proper examination has been made as to the 
extent of the injury. This is not, however, always 
practicable. If an arm or leg is broken, do not remove 
the clothing, but apply splints to the sides of the ex- 
tremity, and tie around them anything which will hold 
the two ends of the fractured bone in place ; almost 
anything will answer the purpose as a splint if it is firm 
enough to render the parts immovable. They should be 
long enough to extend several inches above and below 
the injury. If possible, always cover the splint with 
some soft material ; this, however, is not necessary in 
an emergency, if the splint is placed outside of the 

clothing, as over 
a sleeve or the 
trousers. When 
nothing better is 
at hand, shingles, 
laths, umbrellas, 

A pillow used as a temporary splint. barrel -staves, Or 

pasteboard will answer the purposes of a splint. A 
pillow, also, makes a good splint, as it is soft, and yet 
when tied about a fracture firmly combines the pad and 
splint. 

Dislocations. 

A dislocation or luxation is the technical term applied 
when a bone is out of joint. It may result from 
violence or muscular contraction ; some people often 
dislocate a bone from slight causes, and often in convul- 
sions this accident may occur. We recognize this injury 
by the deformity and the stiffness. A dislocation re- 
quires, in the large proportion of cases, treatment by 




FRACTURES AND DISLOCATIONS. 79 

the most skilful surgeon. After the bone is replaced, a 
bandage should be worn for several days, and if any in- 
flammatory symptoms appear, rest and internal medi- 
cation will control it. As soon as this is over, motion 
should be carefully made, lest stiffness of the joint 
remain. Aconite and Arnica are both indicated in this 
injury. 



CHAPTEE XL 

APPARENT DEATH. 

Many and various are the causes producing a condi- 
tion apparent to death. A discriminating care should 
be exercised in all such cases, that the proper aid may- 
be rendered in time, which may prevent a fatal result, 
and also that neither too much be done, or the efforts 
be too soon relaxed. In this class of cases, assistance 
must be rendered on the spot, and the patient treated 
with the greatest care. 

Shock. 

Following severe accidents, as in railroad disasters, 
for example, the victims, either sustaining personal 
injury or not, often become prostrated, even to uncon- 
sciousness, by the severe strain put upon the nervous 
system. Its effects vary in different cases ; many times 
claims are made for indemnity for the shattered health 
caused by shock, until it has become a disputed point 
in the courts, to settle the justice of such claims, and 
to limit the meaning of the word, which covers such a 
long list of ills supposed to be a result of shock. 

There is no condition which so closely resembles 
death as that of a person suffering from severe shock. 
The patient is perhaps semiconscious, but answers only 
after loud and repeated questions ; his skin is cold and 
bathed with moisture, his pulse is almost imperceptible, 
the face is pinched, the eyes are sunken and lustreless, 
often turned upwards, and the pupils generally dilated, 



APPARENT DEATH. 81 

the fingers and nails are blue. If he is unconscious in 
the extreme, and there are severe injuries also, death 
is most likely to follow. If the case is to end favorably, 
the earliest sign is an increase in the strength of the 
pulse ; the skin becomes warmer, and color returns 
gradually to the face ; vomiting, which may occur, is 
considered a good symptom. The reaction, as the above 
favorable signs are termed, may not continue, but be 
interrupted by heart failure and death. 

Treatment. — If there is any injury, see that the 
hemorrhage is checked ; broken bones should be tem- 
porarily supported ; loosen the clothing of the patient, 
and apply heat to the extremities and cover the body 
with light, warm coverings ; giye stimulants internally 
either by mouth or the rectum. Hot milk is one of the 
best stimulants that can be given. As the sensibility 
of the skin is greatly diminished, care should be taken 
that the articles used to communicate artificial heat are 
not too hot, lest they burn the flesh. Keep the head 
lower than the rest of the body. After reaction has 
taken place, be careful that the patient is kept very 

quiet. 

Asphyxia. 

Asphyxia or suffocation may be caused by drowning, 
hanging, foreign bodies lodging in the windpipe, croup, 
diphtheria, also from the inhalation of poisonous gases. 
The condition of a person asphyxiated from any of these 
causes is characterized by the purplish hue and swell- 
ing of the face, unconsciousness, labored breathing, and 
twitching of the muscles. If the person has been suffo- 
cated by drowning, artificial respiration should be at 
once instituted, and bear in mind that it must be con- 



82 APPARENT DEATH. 

tinued for a long time ; if the respiration is re-estab- 
lished, then the patient should be treated as one suffering 
from shock. 

If the person has been submerged but a few minutes, 
simple means may restore respiration ; quickly remove 
all mucus, sand, and water from the mouth ; this should 
be done while the patient is turned on the side (the left, 
if possible) with the face downwards. After this, he 
should be again turned on his back, and pressure made 
on the belly upwards. If these efforts are unavailing, 
after a short trial, resort at once to artificial respiration. 




Fig. 30. 

Artificial respiration — first movement. 

Several methods are employed, but Sylvester's is consid- 
ered especially good. The patient is placed upon the 
back with the shoulders elevated (all mucus and water 
having been removed, according to instructions given 
above). The arms are slowly extended upwards, until 
the elbows nearly meet, and after an interval of a few 
seconds, by this movement, the thorax is expanded and 
stimulates inspiration. The arms are now to be slowly 
carried downwards to the sides of the chest, and slightly 
pressed against it. This constitutes contraction, or the 
expiratory movement. These procedures should be 



APPARENT DEATH. 83 

kept up for two hours, unless signs of returning 

a mm a -fir* n qiwdqi 1 



animation appear 




Fig. 31. 

Artificial respiration — second movement. 

When a person has been suffocated, either by the 
inhalation of coal gas, or foreign bodies lodging in the 
windpipe, by hanging, etc., bring him at once into 
fresh air, exposing the face, neck, and chest to it, unless 
it be extreme weather; apply ammonia to the nostrils, 
or snuff. Of course, medical aid should be summoned 
at the earliest moment. When the physician is not at 
hand, and these simple means do not bring relief at 
once, institute, without delay, artificial respiration, as 
explained in the treatment of persons asphyxiated by 
drowning. After consciousness has returned and reac- 
tion has been established, the remaining treatment for all 
these conditions is to wrap the patient up warmly ; see 
that the skin is dry and warm, and as soon as possible 
administer nourishment in the form of hot milk and 
water, which not only is a food but a stimulant as well. 

In all cases of suspended consciousness, from either 
of the causes already mentioned, or falling sickness, 
apoplexy, etc., prevent, if you can, crowding about 
the patient, for if not done, the patient cannot obtain 
a sufficient supply of fresh air. 



CHAPTER XII. 

CONCUSSION AND COMPRESSION OP THE BRAIN, 

APOPLEXY, FALLING SICKNESS, HYSTERIA, 

HEAT-STROKE. 

Concussion of the brain often is the result of severe 
jarring of this organ, either from blows upon the head 
or a fall. 

The symptoms of concussion vary, from a simple 
cloudiness of the intellect, stunning, vertigo, nausea, 
pale face, general tremor of the body, as met with in 
slight cases, to the more severe condition known as 
shock, which has been described. In all cases of shock, 
following concussion of the brain, when reaction takes 
place, it is apt to be violent, and therefore such patients 
should be carefully nursed and kept quiet. Inflamma- 
tion of the brain is very liable to f ollow concussion. 

Treatment. — Keep the patient quiet, and if only a 
slight injury, give a few doses of Arnica in water. Cool 
compresses to the head are also grateful. Administer 
no alcoholic stimulants. Should the condition of the 
patient be that of severe shock, apply the measures rec- 
ommended for the latter affection. For the reactionary 
fever that may follow, Aconite, Belladonna, and other 
drugs "would be in order, although no one would think 
of treating such cases, excepting a physician. 

Compression of the Brain. 

Compression of the brain, as the term signifies, re- 
sults from pressure upon some portion of its surface, 



CONCUSSION AND COMPRESSION OF THE BRAIN, ETC. 85 

and follows fracture of the skull, the lodgment of a 
bullet, or hemorrhage. To distinguish compression of 
the brain from concussion is not at once an easy matter. 

COMPRESSION. CONCUSSION. 

Unconsciousness develops slowly. Develops immediately. 

Pulse slow and full. Pulse feeble and irregular. 

Paralysis usually present. Paralysis absent. 

Breathing, snoring in character. Breathing irregular and jerky. 

The treatment of compression of the brain must 
comprehend the causes which are at work. If a frac- 
tured bone is pressing upon the brain, it should be 
lifted or removed; if, as is more often the case, a hem- 
orrhage into the cavity of the skull has taken place, 
we can only attend to the surroundings of the patient, 
keeping him quiet in the recumbent position ; don't 
try to give any nourishment by the mouth, not even 
water, as there is danger of its getting into the larynx 
and causing choking. Arnica, Belladonna, Gelsemium, 
Opium, are medicines more often given for this 
condition. 



CHAPTER XIII. 

POISONS AND POISONING. 

In view of the fact that many cases of poisoning 
occur through carelessness as well as from other causes, 
great care should be exercised, when poisonous sub- 
stances are kept in the house, that the bottles or boxes 
containing them are plainly marked, and never put such 
substances into bottles bearing the old labels of harmless 
compounds. When poison has been taken into the 
stomach, the first step is to excite vomiting as soon as 
possible, and next to antidote the effects. Much de- 
pends upon quick action, but do not be rash ; try to keep 
your presence of mind ; do not allow any more persons 
present than can be useful. To excite vomiting we may 
make use of one of the following : tickling the throat 
with the fingers or a long feather ; mustard, one table - 
spoonful to half a pint of tepid water, is very valuable ; 
salt, two tablespoonfuls added to half a pint of tepid 
water, is also good, though not always reliable. In 
severe cases the stomach pump will be required, unless 
the poisoning is due to corrosives. After vomiting has 
been sufficiently excited, try to find out, if possible, the 
substance which was taken ; if the case is suspicious, 
save all that is expelled from the stomach, that an 
analysis may be made, in order that the cause of 
poisoning may be found. "When we know the nature 
of the poisonous article taken, Ave must then ad- 
minister an antidote. 



POISONS AND POISONING. S« 

Vegetable poisons, including opium, laudanum, are 
antidoted by black coffee and vinegar, diluted with 
water ; keep the patient moving about ; do not allow 
him to sleep. 

Mineral Poisons. 

ACIDS. 

Prussic, sulphuric, muriatic, nitric, phosphoric acids 
are antidoted by alkalies, as tepid soapsuds, soda, chalk, 
spirits of hartshorn, wood ashes. 

ALKALIES. 

Pot and pearl ashes, caustic potash, lye, burnt and 
unslacked lime ; antidoted by acids, vinegar and water, 
lemon-juice, sour milk. Use no emetics, though vomit- 
ing may be excited by the finger or feather ; give 
mucilaginous drinks and injections. 

Corrosive sublimate, verdigris, tin, arsenic, lead, 
mercury, are best antidoted by white of several eggs 
beaten and added to cold water. This will greatly re- 
lieve the pain, and should be given repeatedly. If 
there is pain in the bowels, and diarrhoea ensue, inject 
the white of eggs and water. 



CHAPTER XIV. 
INSTRUCTIONS TO PATIENTS. 

Few people understand how to communicate their 
symptoms to a physician ; too often do they send for 
medicine, with a request that you send something for a 
cold, or biliousness, etc. Such requests are always un- 
satisfactory to the homoeopathic physician, inasmuch as 
we cannot prescribe without knowing a number of 
symptoms, for as people differ in health, so too do they 
show characteristics in sickness ; as, for example, a 
person in ordinary condition may be of mild tempera- 
ment, when sick will become cross and fretful, or the 
converse may be true ; hence it is necessary that such 
slight deviations from a normal standard should be 
known to the physician. This is only one of the many 
examples of individualities, so to speak, which appear 
in all sickness, both grave or mild. 

In chronic diseases, when the symptoms are less 
active, great care has to be observed in collecting the 
peculiar sensations, and carefully noting the aggrava- 
tions or ameliorations from heat or cold, from indoor air, 
or that of out of doors, the time of day or night when 
better or worse ; also what changes are produced by 
sitting, lying, walking, or standing. The different sea- 
sons of the year, spring, summer, autumn, or winter, 
likewise have their influences on diseases, especially the 
chronic. We often hear patients speak of a cough 
which returns every spring or winter, or an eruption 



INSTRUCTIONS TO PATIENTS. 89 

that makes its appearance only in the cold weather, or 
vice versa. If there are acnte pains, their character 
should be expressed as sharp, shooting, stabbing, aching, 
or sore, etc. ; state also, if influenced by any of the con- 
ditions above mentioned. Enough has already been 
said to convey the idea that for a homoeopathic physician 
to prescribe accurately, he must know all the symptoms, 
no matter if some may seem trifling. Oftentimes a 
patient will say that he has a symptom, but it is hardly 
worth mentioning ; and when elicited, it will prove the 
decisive link in the chain of evidence that leads to the 
selection of the remedy. 

There is another point which patients do not fully 
realize the importance of while under homoeopathic 
treatment, and that is, they must not take any other 
medicine than that prescribed by the attending physi- 
cian. People take a few doses of Aconite for a slight 
cold while under treatment for some chronic malady, 
or they take some "mild and harmless cathartic" ; all 
this is wrong and thwarts the recovery. Let it be dis- 
tinctly remembered that when under treatment, no 
matter what the disease may be, never take any medi- 
cine, however simple, unless ordered by the attending 
physician. It is on account of this temptation to inter- 
fere, that a domestic book on practice is often of more 
harm than good. We are often called upon to see a 
child, for example, who was not very sick, and the 
mother perhaps had given repeated doses of Aconite or 
Belladonna, and as the child did not improve, we were 
sent for. "We find that the medicine was given too 
strong, and must wait for the drug effects to pass off, or 
prescribe an antidote ; and although the case may go on 



90 INSTRUCTIONS TO PATIENTS. 

to recovery, much time was lost, and in some cases 
positive injury has been done. Homoeopathic medicines 
are said to be harmless ; unbelievers say they would not 
hesitate to take all the pills in a domestic case ; so they 
might, but that proves nothing ; one may be exposed for 
hours to some contagious disease, and yet not contract 
it ; another, though only subjected to the infection but 
a few minutes, would develop a typical case. It is the 
condition of our system which renders us susceptible or 
proof against baneful influences. Medicines likewise 
need not necessarily be strong enough to make the well 
sick, that are potent to make the sick well, for the 
conditions are unlike. 

There are certain articles and drinks that should be 
carefully avoided while taking homoeopathic medicines. 
Do not use medicated tooth-washes, hair-dyes, or per- 
fumery ; discontinue the use of acid drinks, except 
lemonade or lime-juice in moderation, unless specially 
countermanded ; avoid Acid Phosphate, Moxie Nerve 
Food, and all patent drinks. Every one is better off 
without alcoholic stimulants, and therefore they too 
ought not to be used unless ordered. It is a significant 
fact that dyspepsia has been more frequent since tea and 
coffee have become more universally used ; and while 
admitting that, in many cases, their use seems to be fol- 
lowed by very little disturbance of the health, yet, on 
the whole, it is generally conceded that were the exact 
laws of health to be followed, no tea or coffee would be 
used. 

In giving the history of your case, mention all pre- 
vious illnesses, if there have been any. If there have 
been any skin diseases, carefully tell all you know about 



INSTRUCTIONS TO PATIENTS. 91 

them, and the methods of treatment, especially if out- 
ward applications were made. If there is a cough, be 
sure to state its times of aggravation or amelioration, 
whether it is loose or dry and hacking. If there is ex- 
pectoration, state its character and the conditions which 
increase or diminish its amount. If there are any devia- 
tions from a normal standard in any particular organ or 
set of organs, carefully mention them, and in point of 
fact, let no symptom or sensation, however insignificant, 
be omitted. Do not explain your condition from any 
ideas you may entertain regarding the cause ; that be- 
longs to the physician ; he is able, first, to make a diag- 
nosis if you impart a full history, and afterwards to 
prescribe, if a clear drug picture is given. The old-school 
method of applying drugs is dependent upon a correct 
diagnosis, and then to use certain formulae. Such a 
method is unscientific and unreliable, for we all recognize 
how difficult it is to correctly formulate an opinion as 
to the precise nature of diseases. The relations between 
cause and effect are often perplexing, and when physi- 
cians attempt to treat diseases by such methods, it is not 
surprising that they so often fail, and if conscientious, 
will abandon them, or frankly admit they cannot assist 
dame Nature. Homoeopathy does not deal with this 
uncertainty ; its law is scientific and capable of proof. 
A diagnosis is necessary, but not absolutely essential, for 
we know that drugs have peculiar and uniform effects, 
and that when we obtain a drug proving, and those 
symptoms are reproduced by diseases, we administer the 
drug as a remedy, and thus assist Nature in her own 
direction, by adding just enough activity to enable her 
to throw off the disease-causing elements. We know 



92 INSTRUCTIONS TO PATIENTS. 

that the law is correct from years of verification ; and 
though physicians often fail in healing the sick, it is not 
because the law is wrong, but the inability to correctly 
apply it. There can be no guesswork in nature's laws ; 
we must adhere strictly to the one underlying principle. 
It is not easy to apply the law of homoeopathy ; many 
and various are the conditions which must be studied 
in every case ; too responsible is our profession not to 
bring to it all the energy we possess and willingness to 
study out the root and branches of disease-producing 
elements, and look long and patiently for the remedy 
which corresponds to those manifestations. 



CHAPTER XV. 

THE INVESTIGATION OF DISEASE. 

There are several conditions which must be under- 
stood before beginning upon the therapeutics or curing 
of diseases. We must first . be able to interpret the 
symptoms aright ; and unless we know the normal con- 
dition, we cannot rightly value the abnormal or diseased 
state. The investigation of disease may therefore be 
limited to the consideration, (1) of the causes ; (2) of the 
character of the disease ; (3) of the symptoms, which 
include the pulse, its normal condition and indications 
when abnormal, the respiration in health and disease, 
and its significance ; condition of stomach and bowels, 
appearance of the tongue ; the complexion also is of 
great importance, the state of the nervous system and 
mental sphere. 

The Causes of Disease. 

These are either constitutional or acquired. By 
constitutional causes we refer to those influences which 
are at work in those who have inherited some taint or 
germs of disease from parents or grandparents, and 
are therefore called hereditary causes ; as, for example, 
scrofula, or "king's evil," may be transmitted from 
generation to generation, producing varied and complex 
symptoms. 

Acquired causes are those which consist of such 
as may be traced to individual excesses, changes 



9± THE INVESTIGATION OF DISEASE. 

of locality, exposures, atmospheric conditions, habits, 
susceptibility, infection, predisposition, imperfect recu- 
peration from previous diseases, which lower the resist- 
ive forces of the system. Causes also which are peculiar 
to a section, country, and climate. Every section of the 
country has its peculiar or distinctive diseases, brought 
about by changes in temperature, rapid or slow evapo- 
ration, excessive warmth, stagnant water, and decompo- 
sition of vegetable matter, extreme elevation or dwelling 
in marshy places with its stagnant water ; drinking 
water, which differs in almost every section in its chem- 
ical composition, the one will be hard and full of cal- 
carerous matters, another loaded with impurities from 
improper drainage ; occupation, too, has a great influ- 
ence ; living in damp dwellings where sunlight and pure 
air cannot possibly come at all, or so meagrely that it is 
impossible to overcome the influences of bad drainage 
and overcrowded houses. Such conditions as these lower 
the standard of health, and tend to the generation of 
diseases. Of the indefinite causes, such as heat, cold, 
dampness, draught, and atmospheric variations in gen- 
eral, must all be considered ; improper nutrition, result- 
ing either from ignorance of the value of foods or from 
famine or casualties. To elicit the facts of a case by a 
careful examination is the first requisite for diagnosis. 
To obtain the true condition of a patient requires con- 
tinual practice. As has been stated, consideration of 
the probable causes of the sickness is of signal value, 
and ought never to be neglected ; after this, inquire 
carefully into the progress of the existing disorder. 



THE INVESTIGATION OF DISEASE. 95 

The Pulse. 

To count the pulse it is most convenient to apply 
two fingers to the artery of the wrist on the inner side 
about an inch above the ball of the thumb ; the beat- 
ings of an artery, or taking of the pulse as it is called, 
enlightens us on the action of the heart, and on some- 
thing more, — the state of the artery itself and of the 
blood. In a healthy adult, a beat of some resistance is 
felt - recurring from sixty-five to seventy-five times a 
minute. It becomes slower with advancing years, 
though it may rise in the very aged. 

. The pulse of infancy is from one hundred and ten 
to one hundred and twenty ; and of a child three years 
old, from ninety to ninety- five. Warmth quickens the 
pulse, so does rapid breathing, forced expiration, and 
the process of digestion. In the recumbent position 
and during sleep it falls. 

Increased frequency of the pulse denotes increased 
frequency of the heart's action, and is found in inflam- 
matory diseases or fevers, though in great debility the 
pulse rises. The causes producing frequency of the 
pulse are so varied that no great significance can be 
attached to it. 

A slow pulse, too, occurs in many different states, 
from cold, exposure to wet, in liver diseases, in shock, 
whether produced by sudden excitement, railroad acci- 
dent, or found coexisting with pressure on the brain. 
In some persons a very slow pulse is natural. 

The pulse may also be intermittent, and instead of 
the beats following each other in regular order, it is 
unequal, either one or two beats are omitted. An ir- 
regular pulse occurs from trouble in the digestive organs, 



96 THE INVESTIGATION OF DISEASE. 

or from debility, but it more frequently indicates 
heart or brain trouble. It must be remembered that 
an irregular pulse is not the same as an intermittent 
one. 

The strength or volume of the pulse is of much 
importance. A full pulse is one of full habit ; the 
pulse of the tough and robust in health, or may be 
found in inflammatory diseases ; it denotes over-activ- 
ity : while a weaker pulse usually denotes debility ; 
other conditions, as of resistance or tension, must now 
be considered. Is the pulse hard and unyielding? Is 
it soft and compressible ? The former would indicate 
inflammatory processes, the latter deficient impulsion, 
as in low fevers and debility. Such are the meanings 
attached to the various characters of the pulse. A 
hard, full pulse signifies active inflammations, and 
exists with most of the acute diseases of robust people. 
A hard pulse, full and small, bounding or not, if un- 
connected with acute symptoms, leads to the suspicion 
of heart disease, or affection of the artery itself. A 
tense, contracted, and frequent pulse is met with in 
inflammation of peritoneum, bowels, or stomach. A 
frequent pulse, full and small, is the pulse of simple 
fevers. A frequent pulse, feeble and compressible, is 
the pulse of marked debility, of prostration, or of 
collapse. 

The Tongue. 

Much light may be thrown on the diagnosis of 
disease by examination of this organ. It is a mirror, 
more or less perfect, of the condition of the digestive 
functions, and also reflects the state of the nervous 



THE INVESTIGATION OF DISEASE. 97 

power and of the blood and the secretions. We ex- 
amine its movements, its size, its dryness, its color, and 
its coatings. 

A tremulous or slowly protruded tongue is found 
in all conditions of the system attended by exhaustion, 
as in paralysis, slow fevers, etc. 

A swollen or a broad tongue, on which the teeth 
leave an imprint, is sometimes found in diseases of the 
digestive organs, in some affections of the head and 
heart, also in typhus fever and scurvy. 

Dryness of the tongue is found in inflammation of 
the stomach or bowels, scarlet fever and all eruptive 
diseases ; such a tongue denotes deficient secretion. In 
health, the tongue hardly has a perceptible coating. A 
white coating is seen during inflammation of the lungs, 
and some stomach troubles ; a yellow coating in liver 
disturbances ; a brown coating in severe disorders of 
the blood, as in blood poisoning, etc. Some persons, 
even in health, find on rising, nearly every morning, 
that the back part of the tongue is heavily coated, which 
partially disappears during the day. In scrofulous chil- 
dren we often notice elevated red spots called papillae, 
especially on the back portion. 

The tongue may be unusually red and shiny, covered 
with deep fissures, which is often seen in stomach affec- 
tions of a chronic nature. 

Sensations. 

Persons when unwell complain of chills, of heat, of 
languor, of restlessness, but most frequently of pain. 
The latter sensation may be either dull, sharp, shooting, 
constant, or intermittent. 



98 THE INVESTIGATION OF DISEASE. 

We judge the character of the pain by the appear- 
ance of the sufferer, partly by the countenance, and 
partly by the attending functional disturbances. The 
seat of the pain is not always a sure guide to the true 
situation of the disturbance, for some pains are but 
transmitted sufferings, called sympathetic symptoms. 

Temperature of the Body. 

To measure the heat of the body a thermometer is 
necessary, especially designed for the purpose. The 
normal standard in health is about 98° Fahr. By com- 
parison of the frequency of the pulse and the heat of 
the body as shown by the thermometer, we are able 
oftentimes to better understand the conditions before us. 

The Breathing. 

By attention to the character and frequency of the 
expiratory movements, the pains accompanying and the 
sound produced, are we guided to the seat of trouble. 
As, for example, the short, difficult breathing and 
evidences of pain are most frequently to be attributed 
to many of the diseases of the chest, as pleurisy, pneu- 
monia, etc. A person in health breathes about twenty 
times per minute. The breathing should be easy, slow, 
equal, and full. 

Skin. 

By the condition of the skin, in a great measure, we 
can judge of the activity of the circulation and of the 
character of the blood. It also serves as an index of 
the secretions. In fevers the temperature of the skin 
is increased, usually attended by dryness, though we 
may have febrile action with moist skin. Coldness of 



THE INVESTIGATION OF DISEASE. 99 

the surface indicates nervous irregularity, and is met 
with in the invasion of acute diseases. Protracted cold- 
ness implies a diminished vital force. Chill or coldness 
may accompany fever or occur during the formation of 
pus, and indicates inflammation, or where no inflamma- 
tion is known to exist, may portend a crisis, the develop- 
ment of an eruption, or copious perspiration followed by 
general relief. 

The Appetite. 

The absence of or increased desire for food may be 
met with in disease, but differs from the regular appetite 
of health, not capricious or fitful. In disease it is either 
entirely wanting, or it is excessive or craving. Loss 
of appetite, with thirst, indicates irritation or fever. 
Excessive or craving hunger in young people may be due 
to over-rapid growth, to violent exercise, or a result 
of sickness. 

The Conditions of the Bowels. 

We may find constipation or diarrhoea ; the former 
produced either by improper diet, inflammation, debility, 
paralysis, or want of activity of the lower bowel, altered 
relations of the secretions of the stomach, liver, or intes- 
tines. It may not be out of place here to remind the 
reader that some persons habitually have but one opera- 
tion every two or three days ; such a condition, being 
normal, should not be considered in the sense of con- 
stipation. 

Diarrhoea is characterized by discharges unlike the 
healthy evacuations ; they differ in color, consistency, 
and odor. It may result from inflammation or nervous 
irritability of the intestinal canal, from the presence of 



100 THE INVESTIGATION OF DISEASE. 

irritating substances, as undigested and improper food, 
or from suppression of some discharges. Diarrhoea may- 
be either acute or chronic. 

The Urine. 

Physiology teaches us that the main function of the 
kidneys is to remove water and nitrogen from the system, 
at the same time that it takes from the blood many of 
its salts. The constituents of the urine are water, urea, 
uric acid, creatin, chloride of sodium and ammonium, 
alkaline sulphates, phosphoric acid, and mucus. These 
constituents are influenced in a measure by our food. 

The urine in its normal condition should be pale 
yellovr or amber color, slightly acid, remaining clear 
after standing for eight to twelve hours, having a faint 
odor, but not offensive. The average daily quantity is 
about forty ounces ; the amount passed is somewhat 
influenced by temperature and exercise. In summer, 
when the skin is acting freely, less fluid is passed off by 
the kidneys than in winter. It is diminished in acute 
diseases, in fevers, in cholera, and in the early stages of 
dropsies. It is increased in hysteria and certain diseases 
of the kidneys. In almost all bladder and kidney 
diseases, frequent micturition is a marked symptom, but 
not always associated with increased quantity of urine. 
The color of the urine varies considerably ; its hue is 
affected by food, as well as its odor. 

A smoky or red aspect is apt to be owing to the 
admixture of blood. A very light color denotes gen- 
erally an increase of water, and is usually found in 
diabetes, in hysteria and nervous affections. It is not 
seen in fever patients, for the urine of febrile disorders 



THE INVESTIGATION OF DISEASE. ' 101 

is of a dark hue. A greenish yellow or brownish tint of 
the discharge is indicative of bile. Strong coffee darkens 
the urine ; turpentine darkens and imparts a violet odor 
to it. A red or brick-dust deposit is a result of some 
digestive disturbance. Among females a slight quantity 
of sediment is not always an unhealthy sign ; with them 
the urine is almost always of a paler hue. The average 
specific gravity of urine is 1.015, and by this standard 
we estimate the increase or diminution of the solid 
constituents of the urine. 

Diet. 

How often we hear this question, ' ' Doctor, what 
shall I eat?" and in too many instances the unsatis- 
factory reply is either, "Eat what you want," or "Have 
a light diet." Such terms are far too indefinite, and are 
causes of much suffering, because people may, through 
ignorance, be led into errors of diet. Bread, the prin- 
cipal article of our diet, should be free from alum, bak- 
ing powders, and ammonia. It should be thoroughly 
cooked, and not eaten hot. The Haxall or Patent Pro- 
cess flour is not so rich in nutritive elements as the 
lower grades, as the former loses in grinding a portion 
of the hull of the wheat, which gives to it a darker 
hue, though containing much strength-giving prop- 
erty. Whole wheat or corn meal bread, if known to 
agree, is admissible, although the molasses which is used 
in brown-bread mixture produces marked flatulency. 
Cakes of simple character, butter in moderate quanti- 
ties, light puddings, as bread, tapioca, rice, without 
spices, wine, or rich sauces, are permissible. Excesses 
of sweets, pastry, fried or preserved meats are to be 



102 THE INVESTIGATION OF DISEASE. 

avoided. Meats in moderate amount, regulated accord- 
ing to one's occupation and condition, are of course 
necessary. In fact, a variety of foods, comprising the 
different chemical composition of our bodies, must be 
furnished, to replace the loss which is going on all the 
time. It is important to know when to abstain or par- 
take of these various substances called foods. Vegeta- 
bles, while important for the proper maintenance of 
health, must be judiciously used, being difficult of diges- 
tion, unless we are in a normal state. Fruits likewise 
should be taken understanding^. In fact, climatic in- 
fluences instinctively point out to us the articles of food 
best suited under the condition. The natives of the trop- 
ics live chiefly upon fruits and vegetables. The inhab- 
itants of arctic regions can survive the rigors of the 
climate only by furnishing to the system immense 
amounts of meat and fats. We who live in a middle 
plane must judiciously choose from all. In disease 
we should understand the changes going on in the 
tissues, that we may administer the proper class of 
foods in a form to be readily digested and assimilated. 
Thus, in fevers we supply those elements which make 
muscular and other tissue, which waste very rapidly ; 
in consumption, we supply the same, together with 
fats ; in rickets, we supply salts of lime, in which the 
body is deficient. Constitutional traits are not to be 
disregarded, for one man's meat is another's poison, is 
an old but true saying. These peculiarities are not to be 
disregarded, and often furnish indications to the phy- 
sician of a needed remedy. Eegularity as to meals 
should be observed ; also, thorough mastication of the 
food before allowing it to pass into the stomach, bear- 



THE INVESTIGATION OF DISEASE. 103 

ing in mind that the process of digestion begins in the 
mouth. Learn to eat slowly, and not to overload the 
stomach, as the habit of eating rapidly and drinking 
improperly will grow upon you and in time be sure to 
produce dyspepsia ; avoid cold beverages just before 
or during mealtime, as they tend to retard digestion. 

Foods. 

They may be divided into three different classes: — 

~ . ( Nitrogenized. 
Organic. 6 . 

( JNon-nitrogemzed. 

Inorganic. 

NITROGENIZED FOODS. 

As the name indicates, these all contain nitrogen 
principally ; they comprehend such articles as eggs, 
milk, cheese ; all meats contain them in abundance. 
In a limited degree, some vegetables contain similar 
principles, as, for example, gluten and legumin in 
wheat and peas, respectively. Foods of this class are 
nutritive in a high degree, and of a kind which has 
to go through but few changes before being converted 
into living tissue. They may be designated as "tissue 
builders." Beef is the chief food of this class, and 
is invaluable in the dietetic treatment of the sick. 
' ' One of the most important articles of diet for the sick 
is beef, and it should be of good quality ; the bone 
should not exceed twenty per cent, the fat should be 
firm, not very yellow, and should be free from blood, 
and not in too great proportion relatively ; the muscle 
should be firm, without being tough, not too pale nor 
dark colored, and should not present any marking or 
lividity on cross section." 



104 THE INVESTIGATION OF DISEASE. 

Mutton is more easily digested than beef, and to be 
preferred to the latter, although it is not so nutritious. 
The broth of mutton has a delicate flavor, and is veil 
borne by the invalid. Care should be taken that it 
is well freed from fat. 

Yeal, like the flesh of all young animals, is difficult 
of digestion, and is only to be eaten by the strong and 
active. Venison is easier and quicker digested than 
beef, but not so nutritious. Chicken is an important 
article of diet, though not so easy of digestion, as is 
erroneously taught. As before stated, flesh of young 
animals or birds is not easily penetrated by the gastric 
juice. 

Pork, containing so much fat, is difficult of digestion, 
and finds no recommendation, either fresh or cured, 
that should lead to its use, either in a state of health or 
disease. Salted meats are deficient in nutritive value 
and difficult of digestion. They should be avoided by 
the sick. Fish is a nutritious food, but not as a rule 
suited to the wants of the invalid. Cheese is a rich 
food, and cannot be taken by those having dyspepsia or 
weak digestion. In nutritive value, one pound of 
cheese is equal to two and a half pounds of lean beef. 

Oysters are highly nutritious, easy of digestion, 
especially so if taken raw, and unusually well borne by 
a delicate stomach. Eggs are highly nutritious, and 
form a very important part of an invalid's food. Eaw 
or whipped eggs are among the most digestible of ali- 
mentary substances. Milk is the one article of food 
which alone can sustain life indefinitely. It is highly 
nutritious, and equally valuable both in health and 
disease. There are some with whom milk disagrees, 



THE INVESTIGATION OF DISEASE. 105 

either in health or sickness. In some cases it can be ex- 
plained and the fact admitted that it does disagree ; while 
some people, unmindful of its nutritive value, consider 
they can partake of solid food in the same quantities 
and add a glass or two of milk with impunity ; this 
may be the case with some, but many people will per- 
ceive that their digestive organs are overloaded ; the 
milk will be dropped when it is not the real cause of 
trouble. By adding a little salt to milk, it will aid in 
its digestibility. Clabbered milk, sour milk, butter- 
milk, and skimmed milk are frequently borne by many 
stomachs which cannot tolerate the former. 

NON-NITROGENIZED FOODS. 

There is another class of foods called non-nitrogenized 
foods, and included under this heading are sugars, 
starches, and fats ; the first two come under the general 
heading of carbo-hydrates, the fats including all the 
varieties of oleaginous matter. In man there is a natu- 
ral craving for vegetable food, which is almost universal. 
It may be dispensed with for a few days, but not longer. 
The same is true, in a certain sense, regarding the oleagi- 
nous matters ; while fat may be produced in the body 
from a regimen abounding in saccharine substances, still 
it is found that the system requires that a moderate 
amount of fat should be taken into the system. The 
fats taken with the food are not simply introduced into 
the body and deposited unchanged ; they are altered, and 
used up in the process of digestion and nutrition : while 
the fats which appear as constituents of the tissues are, 
in great part, of new formation, and are produced from 
materials derived perhaps from a variety of sources. 



106 THE INVESTIGATION OF DISEASE. 

We see, then, that to maintain a healthy body, we must 
partake of a variety, in order to make a perfect whole. 
In a general sense, excess in sugar should be avoided. 
In diabetes it is never to be taken, or by the corpulent 
if they desire to decrease their weight. Fats, including 
oils, are with difficulty taken by persons having weak 
digestive powers. In consumption, fats are very useful, 
not alone in supplying the waste which is going on, 
but also in aiding the nutritive process, through the 
influence which they exert over all growth. 

The cereal grains resemble each other in their 
constitution, all of them containing starch, nitroge- 
nous matter, sugar, fat, and mineral salts in various 
proportions. Wheat contains a larger amount of nitro- 
genous matter as compared with the other ingredients, 
and from its adhesive quality it has been termed 
"gluten." Oats contain, next to wheat, the largest 
proportion of nitrogenous matters ; but they also contain 
a great amount of indigestible vegetable tissue, which 
interferes with its nutritive quality as human food. 
Vegetables contain albuminous ingredients in rather 
small proportions, and while necessary as articles of 
diet, require long boiling to fit them for use as food, 
and should be taken sparingly by those having weak 
digestion. 

INORGANIC FOOD. 

While the principles which make up this class cannot 
of themselves support life, yet, since they are as neces- 
sary to the proper constitution of the body as any other, 
they occupy the position of a food, and must be so con- 
sidered. 



THE INVESTIGATION OF DISEASE. 107 

Water is the most important of the inorganic princi- 
ples. It enters into the composition of all the tissues of 
the body. As a rule, people do not drink water enough. 
The important point to be observed in the use of this 
principle is to obtain it in as pure a state as possible. 
Salt, iron, and phosphate of lime are likewise princi- 
ples of this class, and their use is too well known to 
need explanation. 

Requisite Quantity of Pood. 

The quantity of food required per day varies with 
the circumstances of the individual, such as size and 
weight of the body, the temperature, and especially the 
amount of physical activity. In cold weather we require 
more food than in summer ; persons of a muscular con- 
stitution more than those of an adipose or phlegmatic ; 
more in conditions of active exertion than in those of 
comparative repose. When in a healthy state, the appe- 
tite is, under the majority of circumstances, a safe guide 
as to quantity and quality, remembering that only in a 
healthy condition can we follow this dictate. In sick- 
ness, the quantity and quality of food should be care- 
fully gauged ; the danger is, we too often give too much 
to eat during sickness. Some authorities recommend 
total abstinence from food during all inflammatory pro- 
cesses. Certainly there is great intemperance in eating 
as well as in drinking. 



CHAPTER XVI. 

BEGIMEN OF THE SICK DURING HOMCEOPATHIC 
TREATMENT. 

The same general rules apply under homoeopathic 
treatment as would be dictated by common-sense. Par- 
take of light, digestible, nourishing food in moderate 
quantity and shorter intervals than in health, and of 
such drinks as nature requires to allay thirst ; water, 
of course, being the most natural of all the drinks, 
though the addition of some syrup may make it pala- 
table to the sick, as raspberry or strawberry syrups ; 
barley-water, toast-water, rice-water, thin oatmeal 
gruel, whey, milk, preparations of arrow-root, sago, 
tapioca, all without seasoning, other than a little salt or 
sugar. Most kinds of ripe, succulent fruits, possessing 
little or no acidity, either fresh or prepared by cooking, 
and eaten in moderation, as, for example, ripe grapes, 
sweet apples, peaches, pears, raspberries. No fruit 
whatever should be used in cases of colic, diarrhoea, 
dysentery, cholera, and in croup, not even in convales- 
cence. In chronic as well as acute diseases should the 
patient carefully be instructed by a physician what to 
take or avoid. Regularity in the time of eating is of 
great importance, though in acute diseases less food 
should be taken at a time and at shorter intervals. 

Articles Forbidden. 
The flesh of all young animals, and particularly veal. 
How often do we hear of some kind neighbor, through 



REGIMEN OF THE SICK DURING TREATMENT. 109 

mistaken kindness, sending to some sick friend, chicken 
broth, thinking that certainly it can't hurt him ! 
Highly seasoned soups, sauces, cakes prepared with 
spices, pastry, colored confectionery, candies in general. 
Vinegar, salads or cucumbers prepared with it, pickles, 
parsnips, parsley, garlic, onions. All kinds of distilled 
and fermented liquors, coffee and green tea, lemonade 
and acid drinks. Avoid every medicinal substance, 
except that ordered by the attending physician. It has 
become so common for people to drink such mixtures as 
acid phosphate and nerve foods, to use medicated tooth- 
washes, etc., that it cannot be too strongly urged that 
all such be discontinued while under homoeopathic 
treatment. 



CHAPTEE XVII. 
HEADACHE. 

The causes which produce this affection are manifold. 
It may arise from atmospheric causes or disordered 
stomach and liver, catarrh of the head, heart disease, 
or disorders of vision, or reflex from menstrual troubles. 
In modern times normal eyes seem to be seldom found, 
judging from a general observation; and certainly every 
person who is habitually a sufferer from headache, 
that cannot be satisfactorily accounted for otherwise, 
should consult a competent oculist for examination. 
A very slight irritation arising from defective vision, 
whether it be in the nervous or muscular structure, will 
often occasion severe headaches, and their recurrence 
will only be prevented by rectifying the abnormal condi- 
tion. Persons of rheumatic diathesis suffer from pains 
in the head or other parts of the body, arising from the 
same constitutional causes ; then, too, persons who are 
debilitated or those in whom the blood supply is too 
great may alike suffer from headache. The use of alco- 
hol, tea, or coffee has a great deal to do in causing 
headache. If adults complain of deep-seated pain in the 
head, covering a small space, is persistent and violent 
and appeared suddenly, attention should be given to it, 
and the advice of a competent physician obtained, as 
serious consequences may be averted thereby. 

Aconite. — For all forms of headache, when the face 
is flushed, eyes red, sensation of burning all over the 



HEADACHE. Ill 

head, pain is excruciating, great restlessness, incoher- 
ent talking ; headaches from cold northwest winds. 

Antimony crudum. — Headache from bathing in the 
river, from disordered stomach ; tongue thickly coated, 
milky white. 

Argentum nitricum. — Headache coming on as soon 
as awake in the morning, dizziness, nausea, trembling 
of the whole body ; pain extends from above the eyes 
to the top of the head ; " hungry headaches," or appe- 
tite diminished ; feeling as though a band was around 
the head. 

Belladonna. — Throbbing headache, especially in the 
temples ; face red or pale ; pain worse lying down ; 
better on bending the head backwards, and from exter- 
nal pressure ; congestive headaches. 

Bryonia. — Headache comes on first waking in the 
morning, gradually increases until evening ; the head 
feels as if pressed together from both sides ; pain worse 
from stooping, or movement in general ; great thirst ; 
nausea and dizziness when rising from the recumbent 
position ; eyes sore from pressure or movement. 

Calcarea curb. — Menstrual headache, chronic cases, 
feeling of coldness in some part of the head, feet feel 
cold and as if had on damp stockings. 

Cina. — Catarrhal headaches ; pain is worse in the 
open air, feeling like a weight in back of the head ; nose 
commences to run, burns or itches and is stopped up. 

China. — Neuralgic headache, returning at" regular 
hours. 

Gelseminum. — Headache with dimness of sight and 
double vision, dizziness worse lying down. 

Glonoin. — Headache which comes suddenly ; pain 



112 HEADACHE. 

as if brain were too large, intense throbbing in the tem- 
ples, pulse very rapid, face red, or the eyes are staring, 
and the face pale and moist. Glonoin is especially indi- 
cated for headaches resulting from exposure to excessive 
heat. 

Ignatia. — Headaches with boring, piercing pains 
deep in the head, particularly when the pain is worse 
over the nose ; pain is easier when lying down, worse 
from washing hands in cold water, and bending head 
forward ; headaches caused by grief. 

Nux vomica. — Headaches with boring dull pain, 
mostly over the left eye, with stoppage of the nose ; 
stomach out of order, constipation; headaches which 
follow from sedentary habits, too close application, or 
abuse of drugs or coffee ; worse in the open air. 

Pulsatilla. — Tearing, pressing pains, mostly on 
right side, shiverings, no thirst. The patient of mild, 
tearful disposition. Headaches following indiscretions 
in diet ; better in the open air. 

Sanguinaria. — Pain beginning in the back part of 
the head, which gradually extends over one side of the 
head and settles especially above the right eye. Sick- 
headaches, or headaches accompanying menses. The 
patient is obliged to seek a dark room and lie perfectly 
still ; heat in flushes or chilliness. 

Sepia. — Jerking pains like an electric shock ; worse 
from motion ; better holding the eyes shut ; face pale 
and yellowish ; constipation, bearing- down sensation of 
the womb, better from warmth, though the patient dis- 
likes a close room. 

Spigelia. — Neuralgic pains, especially of one side, 
in or about the eyes and temple, more especially the left 



HEADACHE. 113 

orbit ; during the pain, the eye constantly fills with 
water ; patient is very sensitive to a noise or jar ; facial 
muscles quiver. 

Sulphur. — Pain in the forehead and top of the head ; 
heat in the head and coldness of- the feet. Headaches 
which return weekly. Diarrhoea in early morning. 
Sleep prevented at night by burning of the soles of the 
feet and restlessness. 

Veratrum album. — Pain violent. Prostration caus- 
ing fainting, cold sweat, nausea, and vomiting. Patient 
complains of feeling icy cold. 

Veratrum viricle. — Congestive headaches. 

Zincum. — Headaches accompanying diseases of the 
brain ; pain in the back of the head or following sup- 
pressed eruptions ; face pale, now and then vomiting, 
constantly moving one hand or foot ; fidgetiness of the 
legs. 

The above-mentioned remedies are applicable in all 
forms of pains in the head ; and as the knowledge of the 
particular kind of headache is not essential in prescrib- 
ing, one of the above will be found serviceable if it 
covers the symptoms of the case, no matter whether 
the headache be due to constipation, cold, or other excit- 
ing causes. It should be borne in mind, however, that 
persistent pain in the head should always receive atten- 
tion, and a physician only is capable of treating this 
condition. 



CHAPTER XVIII. 

THE BYES. 

Mention has been made in the foregoing chapter of 
the importance of an early attention being paid to the 
eyes, if persistent pain is present. We should be careful 
at all times of our sight, and not abuse so important a 
function. Never read in a dim light or when the sun 
shines on the printed page before you. When reading, 
have the light come from one side. If it becomes 
necessary for a person to hold a book very near the eyes 
or farther than eighteen inches from the eyes to see 
readily, there probably exists some optical defect, and 
glasses are needed, although persons from too close appli- 
cation or debilitated by sickness show symptoms of weak- 
ened sight, yet only require rest or treatment for the 
general disturbance, which if obtained will restore the 
vision. Eye-washes are of more harm than good, and 
should be avoided. The practice of submerging the 
head in cold water, and then opening the eyes, is also 
bad practice, although a very common one. 

Inflammation of the Eyelids. 
There are several forms of inflammation of the lids. 
When the eyelids become red, inflamed, and puffy, and 
the eyeballs are not affected, we consider this a simple 
inflammation due to cold or exposure to a strong wind. 
Erysipelas would be thought imminent if the inflamma- 
tion and swelling extended beyond the borders of the 
lids to the cheek or forehead, with fever and chilliness. 



THE EYES. 115 

Abscess of the lid commences as a little hard nodule, 
with redness and swelling of the surrounding tissue. 
If not checked early, the abscess may break externally 
or internally. The causes are injuries, inflammation of 
inner membrane of the lids, erysipelas or spontaneous 
development, or from general debility. 

Inflammation of the margins of the eyelids is a sim- 
ple inflammation which may become chronic, character- 
ized by redness, heat, and itching, and on awaking in 
the morning the lids are glued together by a secretion of 
mucus which has hardened through the night. Some- 
times the disease continues for years, and the lashes 
loosen and fall out. If the inflammation is not too 
destructive and only a few of the lashes fall out, they 
may grow again, but are liable to be crooked and often 
inverted, thus irritating the eyeballs, and may cause the 
lids to turn outwards. This condition usually accom- 
panies some defect in vision or constitutional disease. 

Stye. — In its nature it resembles a boil, and begins 
as a small, red, painful spot, which gradually grows 
larger and pus forms. The disease is liable to recur, 
especially in young people of rather delicate health. 

Tumors of the Lid. — They are characterized, in the 
majority of cases, by a small round bunch about the 
size of a pea, and located either in the upper or lower 
lid. Usually there is no pain, and very slight redness. 
The cause is usually from debility. Malignant diseases 
are of rare occurrence. 

Treatment. — For simple inflammation, give Aconite 
at first ; then Apis if the eyelids are baggy, or Pulsa- 
tilla if there is catarrhal cold, chilliness, and sneezing. 
For abscess of the lid, give Mercurius vivus first, which 



116 THE EYES. 

may prevent the formation of pus ; if pain is worse at 
night, and pus forms, give Hepar sulphur, followed by 
Silicea when the abscess discharges. 

For inflammation of the margin of the lids, Euphra- 
sia will be found efficacious in the ordinary cases of 
chronic inflammation of the edges of the lids, which 
itch in the daytime, and stick together at night, are 
red and somewhat swelled, with exudation of pus, con- 
stant winking of lids, watery discharge from nose, 
sneezing, and headache. 

Alumina. — Dryness of the lids, worse in the morn- 
ing, absence of lachrymation. 

Mercurius vie. — Lids smart with cutting pains, are 
red and sore, worse at night in bed from warmth and 
cold ; patient sensitive to air, catches cold easily. 

Graphites. — Associated with the symptoms of in- 
flammation of the eyelids, if there exists a moist erup- 
tion on the face or behind the ears. The corners of the 
eyelids crack and bleed when they are opened. If there 
is much agglutination of the eyelids, some relief may 
be obtained from anointing the edges of the lids each 
night on retiring with a little sweet oil. 

For styes, Pulsatilla will be found efficacious in 
the majority of cases. Hepar sulphur followed by Sili- 
cea is to be used, if Pulsatilla does not help. To pre- 
vent the tendency, Staphisagria, Calc. carb., Sulphur, 
and Thuya. 

Tumors of the lids require constitutional remedies, 
such as Graphites, Calc. carb., Silicea, Sulphur, Baryta 
carb. The cutting out of these tumors does not remove 
the cause, and oft ens hastens a renewed growth. 



THE EYES. 117 

Inflammation of the Byes. 
There are several diseases having as symptoms red- 
ness of the eyeballs, lachrymation, and sensitiveness 
to light. They are conjunctivitis, scleritis, corneitis, 
iritis. Conjunctivitis is an inflammation of the lining 
membrane of the lids and outer covering of the globe 
of the eye, and may result from a slight cold, or from 
the pressure of a foreign body (as a cinder), or from 
overuse or abuse of the eyes, or to optical defects. It 
is recognized by slight sensation of heat and burning in 
the eyes, with a feeling as if something gritty were 
under the lids ; at first there is a universal flow of tears, 
which is soon replaced by a secretion of pus. There is 
inability to keep the eyelids open in strong light. Such 
is simple conjunctivitis, produced by cold or a foreign 
body. In scarlet fever, measles, and small-pox, con- 
junctivitis may be an accompaniment. It may also be 
epidemic and infectious. Treatment of this form con- 
sists in first looking to see that no foreign body is in the 
eye, or if there is it should be removed at once, and 
then give a few doses of Aconite which will subdue the 
inflammation. If there is no foreign body in the eye 
or lodged beneath the upper lid, the cause should be 
sought for, which may require other than medicinal 
treatment for correction. In the early stages, cool com- 
presses will be found of benefit, with Aconite adminis- 
tered internally. Euphrasia will also be often useful 
when there is a feeling of pressure in the eyes, increased 
secretion of tears, running from the nose, sneezing, and 
headache. Cepa is to be thought of when there is 
increased secretion of tears, with itching and burning 
sensation in the eyes, and watery discharges from the 



118 THE EYES. 

nose. Chamomilla, for infants after exposure to cold 
while bathing and washing ; child cries much and wants 
to be carried ; one cheek red, the other pale, green 
stools. Mercurius viv., for chronic form with liability 
to take cold with every change of the weather. If the 
inflammatory symptoms continue and much pus is 
secreted, a physician should be summoned, as other 
forms more serious in their results may exist. The 
condition may arise from scrofula or other form of con- 
stitutional disease, and as such should be treated only by 
a competent physician. Mention has been made of scle- 
ritis, which is an inflammation of the deeper structures 
of the eye, and is recognized by the purplish hue of the 
white of the eye, instead of the bright redness in con- 
junctivitis ; the affection is difficult to cure and liable 
to recur. Iritis is inflammation of the curtain of the 
eyes, or iris, as it is called, and is often mistaken for 
conjunctivitis, a mistake that often results in loss of 
sight. There is great pain in the eyeball, and around 
the orbit and in the temple ; dread of light and in- 
creased secretion of tears. There is also a zone of pink 
around the cornea and change of color in the iris. 

The cornea may be the seat of inflammation, and 
result in a cloudiness which may continue for a long 
time ; continued ill health or constitutional humors 
may be the cause. Attention should be paid to diet and 
general hygiene. Medicinal treatment should be ad- 
vised by a competent physician. 



CHAPTEE XIX. 
AFFECTIONS OF THE EARS. 

Mumps. 

Mumps, an inflammatory swelling of the parotid 
gland, which is situated under and in front of the ears. 
The disease is epidemic, and more common during child- 
hood, though it may recur more than once. The affec- 
tion is recognized by the swelling being external, and 
the painfulness and soreness felt at the angles of the 
jaw. The course of the disease is from five to seven 
days. There is moderate fever and languor. The dis- 
ease is not dangerous, and attention should be paid to 
diet, keeping the patient warm, and guarded against 
taking cold. Sometimes the inflammation leaves the 
parotid gland suddenly, only to reappear in the testicles, 
breasts, or ovaries, which results in great pain, and 
unless properly treated an impairment of function. 

Treatment. — Diet should be light and easily di- 
gested. Avoid external applications. Mercurius viv. 
is the remedy oftenest indicated in mumps. Pulsatilla 
should be given if the disease attacks the testicles ; 
Belladonna or Hyosciamus, for alarming symptoms 
should they supervene. 

The Ears. 

The ear is quite as delicate an organ as the eye, and 
should be equally cared for. It is an old and true say- 



120 AFFECTIONS OF THE EARS. 

ing that " nothing should be put into the ear but your 
elbow " ; were the advice followed in all cases, there 
would be less suffering, especially among children. 
How many mothers, anxious to keep their children's 
ears clean, use hairpins, etc., to remove wax from the 
ear, or with a cloth over a small stick, thrust it into 
the ear, thus pushing the substance farther in and 
against the drum- head, forming thereby a site for in- 
creased accumulation about it. Not alone is this the 
only danger, but perforation of the drum has resulted 
from such careless manipulation. 

Pain in the Ear. Earache. 

Pain in the ear may result from inflammation of the 
membranes of the ear, resulting in the formation of 
small abscesses or boils. When this is the cause of the 
pain, there is also fever, with delirium sometimes ; 
chills, great soreness to pressure, and darting pains in 
and about the ears. The canal, or opening of the ear, 
is apparently closed by the swelling. 

Treatment. — Apply moist heat to the ear, or drop 
into the ear hot oil. Belladonna, if there is great heat, 
throbbing and j>ain in the temples, delirium, follow with 
Hepar sulphur. As soon as the abscesses break, con- 
tinue the heat, and give Nux vomica, if there are sharp 
darting pains. Earache differs only from the above- 
mentioned disease in its origin. The pain is more in- 
termittent and seldom associated with chills or fever. 
The attacks may occur at stated times, with long remis- 
sions. Pulsatilla is the remedy oftenest given; the pain 
is worse at night, is tearing, boring, and humming in 
character ; absence of thirst, tearful, chilly. 



AFFECTIONS OF THE EARS. 121 

Chamomilla. — Pains like a knife or single stab, 
patient very cross and impatient ; can't stand the pain. 

Mercurius viv. — Patient sweats much without re- 
lief ; tearing pains extending to the cheeks. 

Hepar sulphur. — Pain felt in the ear whenever he 
Wows the nose, with throbbing and roaring in the ears. 

Dulcamara. — Pains in ears after taking cold ; pains 
worse when patient is at rest, especially at night, and 
attended with nausea. 

If the remedies above mentioned avail nothing, or 
are not at hand, place the patient's head on one side, 
cover the neck and shoulders with towels, and pour from 
a pitcher, held two or three inches above the ear, water 
as hot as can be borne, slowly and continuously into the 
cavity of the ear affected. This will be found to be 
very efficacious in mitigating the pain. 

Discharges from the Ears. 

Punning of the ears is always a disease that needs 
intelligent treatment and that by a physician, for the 
inflammation, which is the cause of the discharge, is 
often disastrous to the integrity of the function of hear- 
ing, if not quickly checked. The cause of the trouble 
may be due to inflammation in the middle ear or from 
disease in the deeper structures ; when the latter, there 
exists an element of danger not to be trifled with, inas- 
much as the brain lies in such close proximity, only 
separated by a thin wall of bone tissues, that an abscess 
or inflammatory action may be set up in the brain 
tissue and lead to a fatal termination. Acute inflam- 
mation may arise from various causes, as mentioned 
under heading of "Pain in the Ear," or as a result of 



122 AFFECTIONS OF THE EARS. 

measles, scarlet fever, or deep constitutional taints, as 
scrofula, tuberculosis, syphilis, or suppressed eruptions. 
The treatment of this disease should be constitutional, 
with absolute cleanliness of the canal as far as is pos- 
sible with a constant discharge. This can be done best 
by washing the ear externally, and then rolling pieces 
of absorbent cotton into the shape of cones and patiently 
removing all the accumulated discharge with the bits of 
cotton ; then leave a small piece of cotton in the ear. 
This should be done in preference to syringing often 
as a means of cleanliness. Avoid all washes or powders 
intended to " dry up" the discharge quickly; for if this 
is done too soon, serious symptoms of brain involvement 
may ensue, a complication that is not imminent as long 
as the discharge is free. The remedies most often 
used are Pulsatilla, Hepar sulphur, Mercurius viv., 
and Sulphur. 

Ringing and Buzzing in the Ear. 
This symptom is usually attendant upon inflamma- 
tory diseases of the ear, or may be due to nervous 
troubles produced by overwork or debility, or from 
spasmodic closure and opening of the Eustachian tube ; 
hardened ear wax may likewise produce crackling 
sounds. It is impossible to suggest medicinal treat- 
ment unless the cause be known, and a physician should 
be consulted. 

Hardness of Hearing. 

This affection arises from several causes, due in 
some cases to hardened ear wax or foreign body in the 
ear, catarrh, obstruction of the Eustachian tube, as the 
result of improper drugging, and as a consequence of 



AFFECTIONS OF THE EARS. 123 

diseases of the brain and nervous system, likewise from 
chronic suppuration of the ear destroying the drum- 
head. It is obvious that treatment can avail but little 
when the deafness is due to destruction of tissue or 
serious disease of the brain. If the cause lies in 
catarrhal diseases of the nose and throat, then they 
should be treated, thereby relieving the deafness. 
Hardened ear wax is often a cause of deafness, and can 
be removed safely by syringing the ear with warm 
water as before mentioned ; never pick the ears to try 
and remove it. As a rule, all these troubles should be 
treated by a physician. 



CHAPTER XX. 
THE NOSE. 

Catarrh, Coryza, or Cold in the Read. 

The symptoms of a cold in the head are too well 
known to need a description. The affection may follow 
exposure or become epidemic. 

Aconite. — In the first stages with feverishness, hot 
head, backache. 

Cepa. — For sneezing, watery eyes with burning 
and itching, discharge from nose thin, causing the sides 
of the nostrils to become sore. Patient better out of 
doors and in the cold, but always worse again when 
returning to the warm room. 

Arsenicum. — Thin watery discharge from nose, the 
upper lip is red and inflamed from the nasal discharge. 
Eyes burn and are watery. The nose feels stopped up, 
yet discharge is profuse. 

Nux vomica. — Similar symptoms to Arsenicum or 
when the catarrh is fluent by day and dry at night ; 
pain between the eyes with sensation of fulness. 

Euphrasia is also serviceable in catarrhs accompanied 
by a thin discharge from the nose and scalding tears 
from the eyes ; throat feels rough and irritated. 

Mercurius vivus. — Catarrhal colds, chilliness, dread 
of air, perspiration, septum of the nose sore. 

Silicea. — For catarrh which lasts a long time, or 
returns again and again. 



THE NOSE. 125 

Catching cold is the result of various conditions of 
the system. We see those who seldom have colds, 
while others are susceptible to the slightest changes. 
If people were perfectly well, or could so live that the 
digestion would be normal at all times, and would keep 
the surface of the body neither too warm nor too cold, 
then would taking cold be rare ; but so long as persons 
eat improperly, are irregular in their habits of sleeping, 
wear very heavy underclothes, and do not take proper 
care of the skin, will they be liable to frequent colds. 
' ' Nobody takes cold who has no impurities in his sys- 
tem." Children will not throw off a cold as long as 
they indulge in too much sugar, syrups, and other 
sweets. Certain articles of food, as green goose, will 
produce cold in the head in some people. 

Nosebleed. 

Nosebleed is most frequently caused by mechanical 
injuries, congestion accompanying a cold in the head, 
predisposition, as in those who seem to be easy bleeders ; 
suppressed hemorrhages, as the menses, or radical cure 
of bleeding piles, or from disease of the blood which 
leads to hemorrhage. The bleeding is seldom from both 
nostrils. Sometimes nosebleed becomes alarming and 
requires the assistance of a surgeon to control it ; usu- 
ally, however, simple means are sufficient. 

Treatment. — If the hemorrhage is at all severe, com- 
press the nose with the fingers at the angle of the nose. 
Never insert plugs into the nostrils from the front, as 
they are worse than useless. Cold applications to the 
spine will generally help to stop the flow ; a bunch of 
keys answers very well if the person is dressed at the 
time of the nosebleed. 



126 THE NOSE. 

Aconite. — For nosebleed occurring during affections 
of chest. 

Carbo veg. — Nosebleed profuse, occurring in con- 
valescence from fever. 

Mercurius viv. — For nosebleed when the blood co- 
agulates and forms clots that hang from the nostrils 
like icicles. 

Nux vom. — Nosebleed after suppression of bleed- 
ing piles. 

Pulsatilla. — Nosebleed instead of menses, or nose- 
bleed that occurs during catarrh. 



CHAPTEE XXI. 
AFFECTIONS OF THE MOUTH. 

The lips are often the seat of inflammation, result- 
ing from other diseases or from exposure to the sun ; 
fever blisters occur during the course of intermittent 
fever and pneumonia, and as an accompaniment of 
acute cold in the head. China, if taken as soon as the 
presence of a "cold sore " is felt, will often dispel it. 

The mouth, including the gums, teeth, tongue, ton- 
sils, and upper portion of the throat and their diseases, 
will be considered under this heading. When a person 
is obliged to keep the mouth open to breathe, at once 
suspect some obstruction to breathing, and examine the 
nose and throat for the cause. In exhausting diseases 
the lower jaw hangs down, and indicates a critical con- 
dition. 

Gumboil. 

It usually takes its origin in a diseased tooth, but may 
arise from some cause unknown. If it arises from a dis- 
eased tooth, the swelling spreads to the cheek of the same 
side, and usually results in an abscess, or, as it is gen- 
erally termed, an ulcerated tooth. Mercurius viv. will 
oftenest give relief of all remedies. If a discharge of pus 
occurs and repeatedly refills' and discharges, try Silicea. 

Fistulae of the Teeth. 
Small spots of pus often appear on the gums, which 
if pricked discharge a few drops of pus, and for a 
short time disappear. These small spots are the exter- 



128 AFFECTIONS OF THE MOUTH. 

nal openings of little channels which connect with the 
roots of the teeth, where there exists some unhealthy 
condition. Causticum, Calc. carb., Sepia, Silicea, or 
Sulphur will he found curative, unless the disease is of a 
surgical nature, when it should he treated hy a surgeon. 

Toothache. 

The causes of this painful affection are many, and 
numerous instances have been known of teeth being ex- 
tracted without relieving the pain. The use of opium 
or laudanum is to be deprecated, as the pain will return 
with increased severity, even if relieved at first by opium. 

For toothache caused by eating warm things: Bry., 

Cham., Puis. 
" " " drinking warm things ; Bry., 

Puis., Merc. viv. 
" " worse from cold air : Bell., Hyosc., Xux 

vom., Silic, Staph., Sulph. 
" " " breathing : Puis. 

" " " " drawing air into the mouth : 

Ant. crud., Phos. 
" " " " eating cold things: Bry.. 

Cham., Xux vom.. Puis., 
Staph., Sulph. 
" " " in the morning: Hyosc, Xux 

vom., Rhus., Staph. 
" " " in the evening: Puis. 

" " "in the night: Bell., Carbo. veg., 

Cham., Puis., Rhus, Staph. 
" " " every other day : China, Nat. mur. 

" " u at night, not during the day /Phos. 

" " " external warmth : Cham., Puis., 

Sulph. 



AFFECTIONS OF THE MOUTH. 129 

Menstruation, before : Arsen. 
16 during : Cham. 

" after : Calc. carb. 

Pregnancy, during : Hyosc. , Puis. , Staph. 
Nursing, ivhile : Staph. , Phos. , China. 
Getting better from : — 

Cold air : Nux vom., Puis. 

Lying clown : Merc. viv. , Bry. , Nux vom. 

When lying clown in bed : Merc, Puis. 

Warmth, from : Rhus, Staph. 

Drawing air into the mouth : Puis. 

Cold hand : Rhus. 

Cold water held in the mouth : Bry. , Coffea, Cepa. 

Smoking tobacco : Merc. viv. 

When chewing : Bry., China, Coffea. 

Lying down on the painful side : Bry. , Ign. phos. 

Lying down on the painless side : Nux vomica. 

In selecting a remedy for toothache, carefully find 
out the conditions which tend to make the pain worse, 
and those which relieve ; also the time when the pain 
is better or worse. Note the influence of heat or cold, 
and whether lying clown or walking, or position in gen- 
eral, has any influence ; then compare the symptoms in 
the list, and the remedy having the greatest number of 
the symptoms will be the one indicated. 

There may appear a paradox when the same remedy 
is recommended for opposite symptoms, but this is really 
often the case. 

Inflammation of the Tongue. 

The symptoms are heat and rapid swelling of the 
tongue, which may continue increasing for two or three 



130 AFFECTIONS OF THE MOUTH. 

days, and render the life of the patient in danger of 
death from suffocation. There are varying degrees of 
the disease, fortunately. The swelling may go down 
rapidly or an abscess may form. The causes are said 
to be due to stings of a wasp, bee, or hornet ; it may be 
epidemic or produced by overdoses of mercury, or from 
biting the tongue, or wounding of the tongue from any 
cause. 

Treatment. — Anthracinum. — Severe forms of the 
disease with gi T eat burning and disposition to gangrene. 

Arsenicum. — Swelling about root of tongue, exter- 
nally and internally, gangrene of the tongue ■ spots on 
tongue burn like fire. 

Apis. — Tongue looks red at the tip, dry and glossy. 
Inability to talk or put the tongue out. 

Arnica. — For inflammation of the tongue following 
wounds. Aconite should first be given, then Arnica. 

Lachesis. — Dangerous cases with gangrene ; tongue 
looks dark and green. 

Phos. etc. — In inflammation produced by biting the 
tongue during sleep. 

Canker in the Mouth. 

(See chapter on ' ' Sore Mouth " in diseases of chil- 
dren.) 

Ranula. 

It is a disease of the floor of the mouth under the 
tongue, showing itself by a swelling of varying size 
and resembling a blister or bag. This disease must not 
be confounded with cysts or abscesses, which sometimes 
form in this cavity. 

Treatment. — Belladonna, Calc. carb., Merc, Nit. 
ac, Thuya. 



AFFECTIONS OF THE MOUTH. 131 

The Tonsils. 

They are two round or oval bodies situated on either 
side of the throat. When of normal size, they do not 
protrude but little. In appearance they are slightly 
roughened or pitted. The diseases which affect the ton- 
sils are quinsy, tonsillitis, chronic enlargement, and 
diphtheria. 

QUINSY 

is an acute inflammation of the tonsils resulting in the 
formation of an abscess ; the disease usually is confined 
to one tonsil. There is at first the general sensation of 
sore throat, which soon becomes more severe, with a feel- 
ing of constriction and inability to move the jaws ; the 
voice is thick and talking is painful. Upon examination 
one tonsil is seen to be enlarged, of bluish red color ; the 
throat. is full of mucus. As soon as pus has formed, 
there are chills, headache, and prostration. One attack 
is liable to render the person more liable to a return. 
The duration of the disease is from one to three weeks. 
Treatment. — Aconite to be given first, followed by 
Hepar sul. , until abscess has broken, then give Silicea. 
If this treatment is begun as soon as the first symptoms 
of the trouble are perceived, the course of the disease 
will be shortened. 

TONSILLITIS 

begins with soreness of the throat, and, in some cases, 
preceding the sensations of pain in the throat, there is 
the- general feeling of having taken cold, headache, 
backache, and fever, or the disease may be ushered in 
with a chill and sudden prostration of strength, which 
does not seem commensurate with the disease. Upon 



132 AFFECTIONS OF THE MOUTH. 

examination of the throat, one tonsil or both will be 
found to be studded with round, white spots quite 
clearly defined at first, these gradually increase in num- 
ber and run together, giving the appearance of a mem- 
brane, and leading to a mistake that the case is one of 
diphtheria ; usually at the height of the disease, which 
is of rapid development and the tonsils are quite covered, 
the patient experiences less soreness on swallowing. 
The ' ' spots " may appear on only one tonsil, and then 
appear later on the other. The fever is usually high 
and pulse very quick. Eecovery is almost always cer- 
tain. The disease is often epidemic, but not considered 
contagious. The causes are usually from taking cold, 
or due to improper diet, debility, loss of sleep, or from 
epidemic causes. As it has been stated, fatal cases are 
exceedingly rare, though the tendency to frequent 
recurrence is apt to follow, or chronic enlargement of 
the tonsils remain. 

Treatment. — Rest in bed and light diet are of signal 
advantage. Aconite, earliest symptoms and for the 
fever, face red, skin hot and dry, great restlessness. 
Belladonna, tonsillitis, especially right side ; parts bright 
red, skin moist, throbbing headache ; children may 
awaken from sleep slightly bewildered ; pain when swal- 
lowing extends to the ear. Lachesis, tonsillitis, espe- 
cially left side, or may go from left to right tonsil ; great 
sensitiveness of the throat externally to the lightest 
touch. Patient always worse after sleeping. Lycopo- 
dium, tonsillitis, especially of the right side, disordered 
stomach, feeling of fulness after eating very little, 
rumbling in the bowels. Merc, viv., throat dark red, in- 
crease of saliva, thickly coated tongue, offensive breath. 



AFFECTIONS OF THE MOUTH. 133 

ENLARGED TONSILS. 

This condition may result from repeated attacks of 
acute inflammation, or indicate a scrofulous constitution, 
or as a result of obstructed breathing through the nose, 
requiring the patient to keep the mouth open constantly 
to obtain air, which is then carried into the throat and 
lungs much colder than is intended naturally, as it 
should become warmed by its passage through the nose. 
When, hoAvever, the nose is obstructed and ' ' mouth 
breathing" becomes necessary, it causes catarrh and 
leads to inflammation of the tonsils and the entire 
mucous membrane of the throat. Many cases of deaf- 
ness are caused by enlarged tonsils. 

Treatment. — The nose should be examined first, 
that any disease there may be cured if it exists ; usually 
the general health is affected and some constitutional 
remedies are required. Baryta carb., Calc. carb., Calc. 
phos., Psorinum; and Sulphur are the remedies gener- 
ally required, and should be given in minute doses, and 
seldom repeated. 

Catarrhal Sore Throat, 
as the name implies, is a catarrh of the throat, and is 
the result of atmospheric influences or constitutional 
predisposition ; it is an accompaniment of other acute 
diseases, such as scarlet fever, small-pox, or measles. 
It may at times prevail epidemically. The symptoms 
are redness and swelling of the mucous membrane of 
the back of the throat, tonsils, and sides of the palate 
arches extending to the false palate, or uvula ; swallow- 
ing is painful, the tongue is coated, and the mouth 
tastes badly. There is much mucus in the throat, or 
sensation of extreme dryness. 



134 AFFECTIONS OF THE MOUTH. 

Treatment. — Cool compresses, with dry coverings 
externally, are very soothing. 

Aconite. — Early stages, fever, restlessness ; sore 
throat caused by cold west or northwest winds. 

Apis. — Burning, stinging pains, or heavy aching 
pain ; false palate looks as if filled with water ; thirst - 
lessness. 

Belladonna. — Scarlet redness of the throat, stitches 
extending into the ear ; great thirst, constant desire to 
swallow, fever, throbbing headache. 

Lachesis. — Throat feels as if constricted ; lump in 
the throat, sense of suffocation, neck sore to pressure 
externally, left side worse. Sleeping aggravates the 
symptoms. 

Mercurius viv. — Sore throat with dark redness, 
tongue thickly coated, whitish, shows imprint of the 
teeth ; increased secretion of saliva ; chilliness and 
dread of air, worse at night ; sweating gives no relief. 

Nux vomica. — Catarrh in the head and throat, with 
a feeling of scraping and soreness. 

Sanguinaria. — Throat feels sore and as if scalded 
by hot drinks ; dryness of the throat which water does 
not relieve ; sensation as if the membrane of the throat 
would crack. 

Chronic Sore Throat. 

Following a neglected case of catarrh or from long- 
continued speaking when the throat is not in a normal 
state, there may ensue a chronic soreness. Clergymen 
and public speakers are especially prone to this disease. 
The most annoying symptom is the sensation of dryness 
or desire to clear the throat, and induces the habit, 
which is in itself a bad one, of constantly hemming or 



AFFECTIONS OF THE MOUTH. 135 

trying to clear the throat. Upon inspection, the throat 
looks red, and on the back of the throat are to be seen 
little round red spots raised above the surface ; these 
may extend all over the throat, or show themselves only 
in isolated patches. Bands of swelling also are apparent, 
and shreds of white mucus extending from above down- 
wards on the mucous membrane. Swallowing is rarely 
painful ; sometimes the efforts to clear the throat are so 
violent as to cause slight hemorrhages, which create 
great alarm on the part of the patient. The disease is 
not alone confined to public speakers, for in point of 
fact, the hoarseness and dryness, or giving out of the 
voice during prolonged use, is usually due to straining 
of the vocal cords or muscles of the palate. 

Treatment. — The patient should control, as far as 
possible, the excessive attempts to clear the throat, for 
he thereby adds to the inflammation. 

Alumina. — Soreness, rawness, hoarseness, or secre- 
tion of tough phlegm ; worse in the afternoon and 
evening ; better from eating and drinking warm things. 

Arum tripli. — Constant hawking, dropping of 
mucus into the throat ; hoarseness, worse from talking. 

Arg. nit. — Collection of tough, thick mucus caus- 
ing gagging ; feeling as of a splinter in the throat when 
swallowing. Singing causes hoarseness and increases 
the secretion of mucus. 

Causticnm. — Hoarseness from singing and talking ; 
burning in the throat, worse on stooping ; must swal- 
low continually. Sips of cold water relieve the cough 
temporarily. 

Elaps. — Sore throat ; offensive discharge from the 
nose, occasional nosebleed ; back of the throat is studded 



136 AFFECTIONS OF THE MOUTH. 

with round, red, raised spots, or it is wrinkled and 
cracked. Smell gone. 

Kali hi. — Mucus in throat ropy or stringy ; difficult 
to expectorate, and can be drawn out in long strings. 

Lachesis. — Inclination to swallow, though it causes 
pain ; worse on the left side of the throat ; the throat 
is sensitive externally to pressure ; hoarseness. 

Phosphorus. — Throat dry and glistening; hard, dry 
cough, worse from talking. 

Phytolacca. — Throat burns like fire; can't eat hot 
things, choking sensation. 

Ulcers in the Mouth. 

The inside of the cheeks, the tongue, and the throat 
even are subject to catarrhal inflammation. The spots, 
or canker, as it is generally called, are irregular-shaped 
ulcerations of a yellowish color. There is usually in- 
creased flow of saliva, pain, and almost total inability 
to swallow. This affection is usually brought about by 
some enfeebled state of the system, poor or improper 
food, or unsanitary surroundings. The tongue is usually 
heavily coated, and the breath offensive. The glands 
about the jaws are usually affected. 

Baptised. — Ulceration, salivation, low state of the 
system ; after abuse of mercury. 

Calc. curb. — Sore mouth during teething. 

Lachesis. — Canker sores on the tip of the tongue. 

Mercurius viv. — Ulcerated gums, tongue, and 
cheeks ; teeth loose ; this remedy is almost a specific, but 
care should be taken that it is not the cause of the sore 
mouth, in which case another remedy would be required. 

Nit. ac. — After abuse of mercury. 



AFFECTIONS OF THE MOUTH. 137 

Diphtheria. 

This disease is of so serious a nature it never should 
be treated by laymen. In fact, the most skilful physi- 
cians undertake such cases with feelings of reluctance, 
knowing, as they do, how fatal a malady it is, and so 
insidious in its nature. Perhaps no other disease has 
been so often incorrectly diagnosed ; severe cases of ton- 
sillitis have been pronounced diphtheria, and reported as 
cured. We often hear physicians pronounce a case to 
be only a diphtheritic sore throat, but not diphtheria, 
w'hich is incorrect ; diphtheria is always diphtheria, and 
the same precautions should be taken in slight cases as 
in the more malignant forms, for a mild case may prop- 
agate a very severe one in another person. Therefore, 
a positive stand should always be taken in a case of sore 
throat. Diphtheria is often confounded with tonsillitis, 
but careful examination will usually make apparent the 
real nature of the disease. Diphtheria produces greater 
prostration, the fever is not so severe as in tonsillitis ; 
then the appearance of round, white spots on the ton- 
sils in tonsillitis differs from the irregular appearance 
of the membrane which appears on the tonsils, arches 
of the palate, or back part of the throat. Then again, 
the glands of the neck are usually swollen in diphtheria. 
Pharyngitis may be confounded with diphtheria from 
the appearance of white shreds of mucus in the throat, 
but it is easily dislodged, or swallowing will change its 
location. 

Membrauous croup and diphtheria are by some con- 
sidered identical. Be this as it may, suffice it to say they 
are both very serious diseases. Whenever there is a 
case of diphtheria in a family, the patient should be 



138 AFFECTIONS OF THE MOUTH. 

isolated and no one allowed in the room but the attendr 
ants and physician ; if there are other children, they 
should be sent away and not allowed to return until 
the case is ended and fumigation has been properly 
attended to. The ceilings should be whitened and walls 
washed and freshly papered. The floors washed thor- 
oughly, and if a carpet was on the floor, it should 
be cleansed and not relaid for some time ; bed and 
bed linen if not destroyed should be subjected to naphtha 
cleansing. All handkerchiefs or cloths used about the 
patient should be burned as soon as soiled. Should the 
disease prove fatal, no public funeral is allowed by law. 
Members of the family residing in the house during the 
patient's sickness should not mingle with persons out- 
side of the house. The causes of this dreaded disease 
are many, and in some cases wellnigh unfathomable, 
for cases appear in all locations, both high and low, 
among rich and poor. Defective drainage of course is a 
powerful cause. The disease also appears sporadically 
and in epidemics. Some cases apparently arise from 
disorders of the digestion. Xo mention will be made of 
medicines for this disease, as it should be treated only 
by a competent physician. 



CHAPTER XXII. 
AFFECTIONS OF THE .CHEST. 

Hoarseness. 

This affection is due to inflammation of the larynx, 
either acute or chronic, or may be due to disease of the 
nervous system. The loss of voice in the last-named 
affection is usually sudden, and may occur without pre- 
vious warning ; there is usually absence of cough or 
expectoration, and of all trouble in breathing. Catarrhal 
hoarseness has the usual attendant symptoms of a cold 
with altered voice. 

Causticum. — In obstinate cases, and when the pa- 
tient has no other symptom ; small sips of water relieve 
the throat for the time. 

Chamomilla. — Hoarseness, especially in children 
with catarrh ; tickling cough ; child cross and fretful ; 
wants to be carried. 

Hepar sulphur. — Catarrhal hoarseness; voice is 
uncertain, sounds as if the throat was full of mucus ; 
much sweating without relief ; cough sounds coarse and 
croaking. 

Mercurius viv. — Catarrhal hoarseness ; patient very 
sensitive to any change in temperature ; sweating with- 
out relief ; worse at night. 

Phosphorus. — Hoarseness with dry cough, worse 
from talking ; pain in the throat ; suitable for tall, 
slender people more especially. 



140 AFFECTIONS OF THE CHEST. 

Sambucus. — Hoarseness, with deep, hollow, dry 
cough, which occasions catching of the breath. 

Carbo veg. — Chronic hoarseness, worse mornings 
and evenings, and after talking ; indicated in hoarseness 
following measles. 

Spongia. — Hoarseness, with croupy cough. 

Cough. 

Every cough has a language of its own, and to 
properly prescribe, a number of symptoms should be 
obtained. It may arise from a variety of causes, com- 
bined as it may be with a cold in the head, or it may 
arise from acute or chronic disease of the lungs. If the 
cough is attended with pains in the chest when breath- 
ing, expectoration, chill, and fever, one should think of 
pneumonia or bronchitis. Many coughs, however, are 
due to cold or irritation of the throat. 

Belladonna. — For a dry, tickling, incessant cough, 
without expectoration ; constant tickling in the throat, 
and sensation of dryness. 

. Bryonia. — Dry cough with vomiting ; cough worse 
after eating ; great thirst ; cough worse going from out- 
door air into a warm room. 

Causticum. — Dry cough with involuntary urination 
with each coughing spell ; sips of cold water momen- 
tarily relieve the tickling. 

Drosera. — Loose or dry cough, causing retching or 
vomiting. 

Hyosciamus. — Dry, incessant, tickling cough, espe- 
cially at night ; better sitting up, and for cough caused 
by elongated uvula. Nervous coughs. 

Hepar sulphur. — Croupy coughs, excited by cold 



AFFECTIONS OF THE CHEST. 141 

w^est winds ; cough excited when any part of the body 
gets cool, particularly at night. Must sit up to cough. 

Ipecacuanha. — Cough dry and hard, which sounds 
as if the lungs were full of mucus. Especially for 
children, the cough affects them so much, that they 
can scarcely breathe, and they become purple in the 
face, and the limbs get stiff. Sweat of the forehead ; 
walking in the cold air excites the cough afresh. 

Kali carb. — Hard, dry cough; pains in the chest 
sharp and shooting. Cough worse in the afternoons 
and three a. m. Must sit up and lean forward to cough. 

Mercurius viv. — Cough dry, with tearing sensation 
in the chest ; worse at night after lying down ; much 
sweating. Expectoration streaked with blood. 

Opium. — Dry cough when swallowing or breathing ; 
worse after lying down. 

Pulsatilla. — For cough which increases in the open 
air and becomes very violent in a warm room. Cough- 
ing is so hard and violent, that it causes the urine to 
escape. Thirstlessness. Easy expectoration part of the 
day, then none at all, and cough causes retching. 

Rumex crisp. — Incessant, dry cough, excited by 
the slightest cold air ; patient must cover the head com- 
pletely, the cold air is so noticeable. 

Sanguinaria. — Tickling, dry cough; irritation to 
cough felt in the hollow of the neck. Coughing spell 
ends by passing flatus, either upwards or downwards. 

Sulphur. — For chronic, dry cough coming on in the 
afternoon and continuing till towards midnight, or 
when well-selected remedies fail to complete a cure, 
give a dose of Sulphur and then repeat the indicated 
remedy if necessary. Coughing produces a bursting 



142 AFFECTIONS OF THE CHEST. 

pain in the head ; blackness before the eyes, heat in the 
head and face, but cold hands. 

Tartar emetic. — Cough sounds loose, but yields no 
expectoration ; for coughs of children and old people 
especially ; the chest seems full and cough produces 
rattling, yet no expectoration. Much sweat on the 
head and chest. 

In recent coughs, with cold in the head, it is advis- 
able to keep warm and in an equal temperature for a few 
days. Persons subject to repeated attacks of cough and 
catarrhal cold should be particularly careful not to wear 
too heavy underclothing, thereby creating perspiration 
and greater liability to take cold. They should take a 
cool sponge bath every morning, rubbing briskly after- 
wards with a coarse towel. Such persons should wear 
cotton next the skin, but not all-wool garments,, which 
are only suitable for laborers and sailors, who are liable 
to be drenched to the skin. 

Whooping-Cough. 

This affection is epidemic, and characterized by three 
stages. The first is the stage of fever, and resembles an 
ordinary attack of catarrh, lasting for a few days only, 
or may continue a week or two. It is therefore difficult 
to diagnose the affection at this stage. The second 
stage introduces the characteristic convulsive cough, 
strangling, retching, and whooping. This stage of the 
disease is liable to be complicated with pneumonia or 
bronchitis. The duration of the second stage is uncer- 
tain, varying from three or four weeks to as many 
months. The third stage is called the stage of decline, 
and is made known by the paroxysms growing shorter 



AFFECTIONS OF THE CHEST. 143 

and lighter, the whoop gradually disappears, and the 
cough does not differ from that of an ordinary catarrh. 
If any cold be taken at this stage or immediately after 
the cessation of the cough, there may be a return of the 
paroxysmal cough for a short time. The disease is most 
contagious during the second stage. Whooping-cough 
is almost entirely a disease of childhood. For the first 
stage, Aconite and Belladonna. For the second stage, 
Carbo veg., Drosera, Ipecac, and Yeratrum. A change 
of climate is sometimes advantageous, especially if a sea 
voyage be included, or a stay of a few weeks at the sea- 
shore. Mental emotions should be avoided as much as 
possible, inasmuch as they tend to provoke the cough. 
Particularly so is it the case with fits of anger. The 
use of medicaments in the form of candles or lamps are 
not advised, they often do more harm than good. 

False Croup. 

This affection, so dreaded by parents, is seldom fatal, 
though the symptoms are apparently alarming. An 
attack is usually sudden in its outbreak ; in the majority 
of cases the patient awakens about midnight with the 
croup ; the cough is metallic sounding or crowing, of 
deep tone with hoarseness, and great difficulty in 
breathing ; they often clutch the throat and evince 
great distress. At this stage, the administration of 
Aconite every fifteen minutes for one hour is serviceable. 
Apply, also, a cool, wet compress to the throat. After 
administering the Aconite for an hour, give Hepar 
sulph. for the same length of time and at similar inter- 
vals. Should these two remedies fail to bring relief at 
the end of the second hour, give Spongea in the same 



144 AFFECTIONS OF THE CHEST. 

way for one hour ; then alternate the Hepar sulph. and 
Spongea every hour until relieved. This treatment 
will suffice in most cases, though other remedies may be 
needed, but should be prescribed by a competent homoeo- 
pathic physician. The patient during the attack should 
be kept warm, and see that the feet especially are not 
allowed to become cold. For a day or two after, if the 
attack has passed off, keep the child quiet and warm, 
free from draughts and off the floor. The diet should 
be simple, and no fruit allowed. Sometimes the attack 
will pass off during the day and return again the 
following night, but in such cases there usually will 
be observed a slight hoarseness continuing through 
the day. If such is the case, continue giving Hepar sulph. 
every three hours throughout the day. The treat- 
ment here recommended is intended to apply to 
cases of croup uncomplicated with other diseases, as 
membranous croup and diphtheria. False croup, as 
above described, presents several points of difference 
from membranous croup, inasmuch as the symptoms 
do not show themselves all at once in the latter disease. 
Usually in membranous croup the child begins with 
a slight fever, catarrh and some hoarseness ; these 
symptoms may continue a few days, when the symptoms 
peculiar to croup manifest themselves. So, too, is it in 
diphtheria ; the first symptoms are attendant for a few 
days, then occur the croupy symptoms, if the disease 
has extended farther down. 

Inflammation of the Lungs (Pneumonia). 

Pneumonia is an acute inflammation of the lung 
substance, and its symptoms are quite characteristic. 



AFFECTIONS OF THE CHEST. 1^5 

The affection is ushered in by a long, hard chill followed 
by a hot, dry skin and flushed face The breathing is 
rapid and attended with sharp pains in the chest at- 
tended with cough. The disease progresses with well- 
marked symptoms, unless perchance the disease is 
arrested in this stage ; if not, the expectoration which 
soon appears is characteristic ; at first consisting of a 
glairy mucus, it soon becomes tougher, and from the 
admixture of blood with the mucus, resembles iron-rust 
stains in color, or as dark as prune juice, although 
some cases of pneumonia run their course without it. 
The breathing becomes still more rapid as the disease 
continues, and the pulse increases in frequency. There 
is usually headache, occasionally delirium ; the cheeks 
are usually flushed. The duration of the disease varies 
from one week to four. The course of the disease may 
be complicated by the supervention of typhoid symp- 
toms, inflammation of the heart sac, or result in tuber- 
culosis. When convalescence is approaching, the fever 
abates, the skin becomes moist, the expectoration 
becomes freer and white, and breathing is easier and 
less frequent. The treatment of so dangerous a 
disease ought to be intrusted to a skilful physician 
only. 

In the inception benefit will follow the administration 
of Aconite for a short time. Phosphorus, Bryonia, Tar- 
tar emetic, and Sulphur are most often indicated. Cool 
wet compresses at first afford great relief, and are bene- 
ficial. The diet throughout should be nourishing and 
easily digested, and administered in small quantities, 
often repeated. Cold water and chopped ice are agree- 
able and should never be withheld. 



146 AFFECTIONS OF THE CHEST. 

Pleurisy. 
Pleurisy is an inflammation of the membrane enclos- 
ing the lungs. In the beginning there is usually a 
number of short chills, then a hot stage, and again a 
chill, though it is not always noticed. The most char- 
acteristic symptom, however, in the early stage of the 
disease, is the sharp, acute pain, the ' ' stitch in the 
side." The fever continues and a dry cough without 
expectoration. The patient favors the painful side in 
every way, dreading to breathe, cough, or move, know- 
ing that it produces great pain. The breathing is short 
and quick. Pleurisy may be the result of exposure, sup- 
pressed perspiration, catching cold, or it may be attendant 
upon other diseases, such as affections of the lungs, 
measles, scarlatina, and typhoid fever. In the first stage 
of pleurisy, the pain may be confounded with neuralgia 
of the chest, called intercostal neuralgia, but in this affec- 
tion there is absence of fever, and the pain shifts, like- 
wise there is great tenderness of the chest walls. Pleu- 
risy may be of short duration, or become chronic in its 
nature. The fluid which is secreted by the inflamed 
pleura in simple acute cases is like water, but if the 
disease is improperly treated, and the fluid is not ab- 
sorbed, it is liable to take on the nature of pus. Such 
cases are often overlooked, and yet the patient is short- 
breathed, every exertion is an effort ; the reason is, the 
fluid occupies the space that the lung should, and hence 
the lung is compressed and therefore almost useless. 
Pleurisy usually leaves behind it adhesions which cause 
much hindrance to full inspiration. The treatment, like 
that in pneumonia, should be applied by a physician. 
Many cases, apparently slight, become dangerous to life 



AFFECTIONS OF THE CHEST. 14:7 

through neglect. The pleuritic or stitch-like pains in 
the sides will often be relieved by cool, wet compresses, 
and internally Bryonia, Kali carb., Merc, Squilla. 

Bryonia. — Stitching pains in the chest ; worse from 
the slightest motion ; better when lying on the affected 
side ; great thirst ; better lying on the painful side. 

Kali carb. — Stitching pains in the chest, especially 
on the left side ; the cough is worse towards three o'clock 
A. M. ; violent palpitation of the heart ; better lying on 
the unpainful side. 

Mercarius viv. — Pains in the chest ; worse in the 
right side ; chilliness ; then heat, with copious sweats. 

Squilla. — Stitching pains in left side ; short cough, 
inability to lie on the left side ; profuse perspiration. 

False Pleurisy (Pleurodynia) . 

False pleurisy resembles true pleurisy very much, yet 
the origin, location, and termination are entirely unlike 
it. This disease is of a rheumatic or neuralgic nature, 
and occurs in persons subject to these affections, or 
follows from taking cold. With the pains in the chest 
there will usually be associated pains in the neck and 
shoulders. The pain in false pleurisy is felt during 
exhalation, while in true pleurisy the pain is during 
inspiration. Hard pressure aggravates the pain in 
false pleurisy, while slight pressure is felt keenly in 
true pleurisy. 

Treatment. — Apply a cool, wet compress and ad- 
minister internally a carefully selected remedy. 

Aconite. — If the attack follows from catching cold ; 
the patient is restless, skin hot and dry, face red, mov- 
ing in bed causes a chill. 



148 AFFECTIONS OF THE CHEST. 

Bryonia. — Sharp, stitching pains ; great thirst ; 
patient irritable and cross ; better lying perfectly quiet ; 
every motion is painful. 

Ranunculus. — Pains in the sides of the chest sharp 
and cutting ; the painful spot is not larger than a sil- 
ver quarter of a dollar, but extends through the chest. 

Pulsatilla. — Pain severe, but feels better by chang- 
ing his position ; feels worse toward evening and at night. 

Sulphur. — This remedy may be indicated in cases of 
subacute nature and when other remedies fail to en- 
tirely remove the symptoms. 

Bronchitis. 

Bronchitis may be acute or chronic, and is always 
attended with a cough. Acute bronchitis may follow a 
neglected cold, or as a result of other diseases occurring 
in the course of fevers, of rheumatism, and of heart 
disorders. The lungs are traversed by tubes called bron- 
chial tubes ; some are large and some are very minute. 
Bronchitis varies a good deal according to the size of the 
tubes involved. When the smaller tubes are affected, 
the disease is termed capillary bronchitis, or suffocative 
catarrh, and is considered a grave disease. The aged 
and young children are most liable to have the form of 
disease known as capillary bronchitis. Bronchitis of the 
large tubes is very common, and may be acute or last 
for a number of years. The symptoms of bronchitis 
are, a tickling sensation in the throat, pain under the 
breast bone, slight obstruction in breathing, some fever, 
aching of the limbs ; the cough at first is dry and har- 
assing, or a slight expectoration of clear mucus ; as 
the attack wears on, the expectoration becomes thicker 



AFFECTIONS OF THE CHEST. 149 

and greenish or yellowish in color ; occasionally, streaks 
of blood will be observed mixed with the sputa. The 
fever and general languor soon pass away, but the cough 
and expectoration may continue. Capillary bronchitis 
may succeed an attack of bronchitis of the large tubes, 
or may from the first be located in the small tubes. 
Whenever capillary bronchitis exists, the disease may be 
recognized by the dusky hue of the face, and its lividity ; 
the lips are blue or purple, and countenance pinched ; 
the finger-nails look dark ; the breathing is rapid, the 
skin is usually clammy, though the fever may run quite 
high. The expectoration is thin and ropy, or foamy in 
appearance. As the disease continues the patient be- 
comes more depressed ; the cough continuing, but the 
expectoration fails with the strength. In old people, 
delirium and stupor, in young children convulsions, 
characterize the approach of death. From this de- 
scription of capillary bronchitis, the distinctions will be 
easily seen between this form of bronchitis and that 
affecting the larger tubes. 

Tartar emetic. — Bronchitis when the cough sounds 
loose and the rattling in the chest would seem to in- 
dicate that the chest was full of mucus, yet there is 
little or no expectoration. Patient is drowsy, inclined 
to slumber much, with the eyes half open. Children 
want to be carried about constantly. Face bluish or 
pale, and puffy. 

Belladonna. — Severe throbbing headache, worse 
from coughing ; oppression of the chest ; feeling as if 
bound, with rattling in the chest. Cough dry and 
spasmodic, worse at night ; patient starts in his sleep ; 
child cries when he is coughing. 



150 AFFECTIONS OF THE CHEST. 

Bryonia. — Dry cough with pains in the head and 
chest ; stitches in the chest ; thirsty for large quantities 
of water ; lips dry and cracked ; cough worse going 
from the cold air into a warm room. 

Phosphorus. — Cough hard and dry ; chest feels op- 
pressed ; talking makes the cough worse ; every breath 
of cold air aggravates the cough ; suitable for tall, 
slender persons. 

Mercurius viv. — Bronchitis with catarrh of throat 
and nose ; chilliness, dread of a draught, profuse per- 
spiration, cough sounds as if it would tear the inside of 
the chest ; cough is always worse at night. 

Pulsatilla. — Cough loose, with yellow or greenish 
expectoration ; cough loose by day ; dry after every 
sleep ; remaining after measles ; stitching pain in the 
side of the chest, particularly at night, when lying ; 
better from lying on the painful side ; obstinate bron- 
chial catarrh. 

Ipecacuanha. — Dry, teasing cough, with much rat- 
tling in the chest ; coughing almost suffocates the 
patient ; perspiration on the head after each fit of 
coughing. 

Hepar sulphur. — Loose cough; rattling, anxious 
breathing ; must sit up with the head bent back ; 
cough worse in the morning ; sweat without relief ; 
cough excited if any portion of the body gets cold ; 
after cough, sneezing and crying ; better from wrap- 
ping up and keeping warm. 

Sulphur. — Much rattling of mucus in the chest; 
expectoration greenish, lumpy, of sweetish taste ; 
cough excited by tickling in the throat, as if caused by 
dust ; burning of the soles of the feet. 



AFFECTIONS OF THE CHEST. 151 

Sanguinaria. — Cough dry, caused by tickling in 
the throat pit ; tickling in the stomach ; dry cough, 
awakening the patient and not ceasing until he sits up 
in bed and passes flatus, upward and downward. 

Asthma. 

This disease, so ancient, and so well known by its 
marked characteristics, is nevertheless puzzling to the 
physician, as so many conditions of the system may 
promote asthmatic attacks. It has been said that 
asthmatic subjects are chronic dyspeptics, and this is 
really true in some cases, while the exciting causes in 
others may be due to suppressed eruptions, menstrual 
derangement, mental emotions, heredity, atmospheric 
changes, occupations which subject the patient to fumes 
of chemicals or inhalation of dust, as frequently occurs 
with stone-cutters and millers. The symptoms are well 
known. The patient experiences little difficulty in 
inhaling, but great distress when trying to exhale ; . the 
sense of suffocation is hard to bear ; faintness is often 
an accompaniment. Eelief may sometimes be found in 
change of abode, even if not a great distance. 

Ipecacuanha. — Will be indicated when there is a 
sense of constriction about the chest ; the patient fears 
suffocation and gasps for breath ; face pale, worse from 
least motion. 

Arsenicum. — Asthma following suppressed catarrh, 
when worse about midnight ; worse lying down ; must 
incline the chest forward ; loss of breath immediately 
on lying down in the evening, or walking quickly, 
ascending, and from changes of warmth and cold. 

Lachesis. — Asthma worse from covering the mouth 



152 AFFECTIONS OF THE CHEST. 

or nose, or touching the throat, or moving the arms ; 
worse, just after sleeping ; better sitting up, bent for- 
ward. (Nux vom. also. ) 

Pulsatilla. — Asthma, especially of children, after 
suppression of a rash, in hysteria, or with suppressed 
menses ; dizziness, drowsiness, palpitation of the heart ; 
worse from heat. 

Veratrum alb. — Asthma in damp, cold weather ; in 
early morning, better throwing the head back ; inclina- 
tion for motion ; cold sweat of upper part of body. 

Coffea. — Asthma in consequence of mental emo- 
tions ; breathing is jerking, with uneasiness ; heat and 
sweat. 



CHAPTER XXIII. 

AFFECTIONS OF THE STOMACH AND BOWELS, 
Loss of Appetite. 

The disorders of the stomach and bowels are very 
common, and the majority of people, if at all unwell, 
attribute the cause of their trouble to an improper state 
of the digestion. Loss of appetite is one of the most 
common signs of a disordered stomach. It may amount 
to absolute repugnance to taking any kind of food, or 
merely an inability to partake of certain articles. Again, 
the dislike for eating is gradually more and more pro- 
nounced, and the general strength of the patient suffers. 
It is not an easy matter to decide what the loss of appe- 
tite depends upon. We know, from experience, that 
there are various causes which produce this condition. 
That nervous influence has something to do with the 
loss of appetite is shown by the sudden loss of all desire 
to eat, when any strong impression is made on the ner- 
vous system, as unpleasant news or anxiety. Loss of 
appetite is also dependent upon diseased condition of the 
stomach or other organs. What the loss of appetite 
really depends on cannot easily be determined, and 
very often the cause is not specific, but the result of 
many little abuses. Want of exercise, improper bath- 
ing, excessive use of tea, coffee, and tobacco, irregu- 
larity in eating, loss of sleep, too close application to 
business, or the monotonous routine of daily duties, — 



154 AFFECTIONS OF THE STOMACH AND BOWELS. 

any or all of these may be factors in producing the 
above-named disorder. The common practice is to try 
and arouse the appetite by tonics, roots, barks, herbs, 
spices, alcoholic stimulants, etc., but they oftener do 
more harm than good. They may awaken the appetite 
for a day or two, or possibly longer, but in a com- 
paratively short time they produce an undesirable 
effect. By degrees these crude drugs accumulate in 
the system, thereby causing incurable diseases, not in 
the intestines or the blood, whence they might be ex- 
tracted by purgatives and blood letting. For every 
one should know that nothing can remain in the blood 
any more than in the intestines, as the former is under- 
going changes every day. It is the solid parts of the 
body which undergo a change as well as the fluids. 
Sometimes a craving for salt fish, or acids, or some- 
thing bitter may do good, if the desire is satisfied and 
ceases ; if, however, the same craving returns very 
soon, it should not be indulged, and is a sign that their 
use is injurious. The best treatment for this condition 
of loss of appetite is to carefully regard every known 
law of health and obey it, not for a month, but until 
it becomes second nature. If there is any habit which 
is known to be injurious, correct it. In addition to 
these rules, the regular use of hot water is recom- 
mended. In the morning particularly, an hour before 
and a couple of hours after each meal, drink slowly a 
glass of hot water. At meals, drink moderately. Cold 
water is also of benefit in many cases, if drank between 
meals. People drink too little water, although fleshy 
persons should avoid drinking water excessively, as 
liquids help to produce fat. The medicines recom- 



AFFECTIONS OF THE STOMACH AND BOWELS. 155 

mended for this affection will be found under the head- 
ing ''Dyspepsia." 

Morbid or Capricious Appetite. 

A morbid appetite may manifest itself in conse- 
quence of some constitutional disease, or the result of 
worm affections, dyspepsia, or associated with neuralgia 
of the stomach. It is often the case that persons may 
have a capricious appetite, eating enormous amounts for 
a time, followed by entire loss of appetite. For excess- 
ively increased appetite or voracious appetite, if not 
dependent upon stimulants or condiments, one of the 
following remedies will be found efficacious : — 

Natrmn muriaticum. — Longing for bitter food and 
drink ; excessive appetite, loss of taste, continuous 
thirst. 

Sulphur. — Sour taste in the mouth all day ; excess- 
ive appetite ; food tastes too salt ; aversion to meat ; 
empty, weak feeling in the stomach about eleven a. m. 

Berberis. — Mouth tastes bitter ; sour, voracious 
appetite ; great thirst, alternating with aversion to 
drink ; tongue smarts when touched ; slimy, furred 
tongue ; heartburn. 

Dyspepsia, Indigestion. 

Dyspepsia and indigestion are synonymous terms, 
and if we consider all the causes by which indigestion 
may be brought about, we will at once see what a multi- 
tude of sins these names stand for. Dyspepsia may be 
caused by changes in the digestive apparatus, such as 
catarrh, inflammation, thickening, ulceration, eruptions 
on the membranes of the stomach ; or the gastric juices, 



156 AFFECTIONS OF THE STOMACH AND BOWELS. 

pancreatic juices, or the secretions of the liver and the 
intestines may be increased or diminished in quantity, 
bringing about diseased or altered conditions denoted by 
indigestion. Again, the nervous system being diseased 
reacts upon the organs of digestion, and it is like a 
piece of machinery, which cannot properly do its work 
unless all parts are in perfect order. Dyspepsia may be 
caused by the use of irritating or stimulating food or 
drink. We find a whiskey dyspepsia, a pepper and 
mustard dyspepsia, coffee dyspepsia, tea dyspepsia, ice- 
cream dyspepsia, hot -bread dyspepsia, candy or sugar 
dyspepsia, and all sorts of other dyspepsias. Then there 
are cases of dyspepsia arising from overeating or sur- 
feiting, indulging in too rich foods, too much greasy food. 
Dyspepsia is characterized by irregular appetite or mor- 
bid appetite, accumulation of wind in the stomach, caus- 
ing distress with desire to belch ; palpitation of the heart, 
mental depression, sour, bitter, or rancid eructations, 
burning in the stomach, water brash, nausea, vomiting. 
The region of the stomach is sore to touch, sensitive to 
the pressure of clothes ; bloating of the bowels. Sleep may 
be disturbed or wanting. The face expresses suffering 
and fatigue ; the eyes are dull. As the disease continues, 
the patient's strength diminishes, and there is a gradual 
loss of flesh. Before mentioning the treatment of dys- 
pepsia, the various diseases which may produce dyspep- 
tic symptoms will first be mentioned. 

Catarrh of the Stomach. 

Catarrh of the stomach is similar to catarrhal in- 
flammation of any other mucous membrane. Catarrh 
of the stomach may be produced by taking cold or 



AFFECTIONS OF THE STOMACH AND BOWELS. 157 

getting wet, but principally it is caused by either too 
cold or too hot food or drink, or indigestible kinds of 
food, like too fat or old meats, also fish, pork, sausage, 
cheese, alcoholic drinks, ice cream, ice water ; iced milk 
is still worse than ice water. Starvation will cause 
catarrh of the stomach. Mental exertions and excite- 
ment, fright, grief, worriment, may cause it. One form 
of catarrh of the stomach is what is so popularly known 
as biliousness, or "bilious attacks." The symptoms of 
catarrh of the stomach are in the main those of dys- 
pepsia, loss of appetite, nausea, and frequently bilious 
vomiting ; a feeling of uneasiness in the region of the 
stomach, and soreness to touch. The bowels are con- 
stipated in the beginning, and the urine scanty and dark 
colored. Cold sores often ajDpear toward the close of 
an attack. Fever is not usually marked, unless the 
grade of inflammation becomes severe ; then the disease 
is known as gastric fever. Bronchial catarrh is often 
noticed. Obstinate cases of catarrh of the stomach are 
likewise accompanied with catarrh of the bronchial 
tubes. 

In the treatment of all the disorders of the digestive 
organs, it is first necessary to correct the abuses and 
regulate the amount of food taken and its quality. 
Then eat regularly and at proper hours. Avoid exercise 
immediately after a meal, or mental work requiring 
much thinking. These rules apply especially to the 
treatment of dyspepsia. The diet has to be prescribed 
for each individual case in a measure ; the diet, how- 
ever, should be simple, and during an acute attack of 
catarrh only very little food should be taken at a time, 
but quite often, every three hours perhaps. 



158 AFFECTIONS OF THE STOMACH AND BOWELS. 

Antimony crudum. — Catarrh of the stomach, after 
bad, sour wine ; overeating, pork, or acid drinks ; long- 
lasting loss of appetite, with disgust for all food ; tongue 
thickly coated, milky white ; stomach weak,_ easily dis- 
turbed digestion ; stomach is sore to pressure, with a 
painful sense of fulness ; nausea and vomiting, bowels 
loose or stools in lumps. Nursing children throw up a 
little sour milk as soon as they take the breast or bottle; 
worse in warm weather ; cannot bear the heat of the sun. 

Arsenicum. — Catarrh of the stomach produced by 
ice cream, ice water, vinegar, sour beer, tobacco, alco- 
holic drinks, bad sausages, cheese, fruits ; nausea and 
complete loss of appetite ; fruitless retching, vomiting, 
with apprehension of death ; intense heat and burning 
in the stomach and pit of the stomach ; drinks often, 
but little at a time. 

Bryonia. — Nausea increased or brought on by the 
slightest motion ; must be quiet ; vomiting immediately 
after eating ; tongue tastes bitter, which water relieves ; 
great thirst for large quantities of water ; great desire 
for oysters and sweets ; pressure in the stomach, after 
eating, like a stone ; makes him fretful ; stomach and 
pit of the stomach sensitive to the pressure of clothes, 
to touch, or when coughing. 

Carbo vegetabilis. — Catarrh, great now of water 
from the mouth ; sour or rancid eructations ; vomiting 
in the evening of food, of sour, bilious, or bloody 
masses ; great debility, and sensitiveness to warm and 
cold or damp weather ; gastric symptoms from wine, 
too much milk, excessive use of butter, from fats in 
general, or from abuse of salt or salt meats ; stomach 
feels heavy, as if hanging down ; want of appetite. 



AFFECTIONS OF THE STOMACH AND BOWELS. 159 

China. — Loathing of food, as if he had overeaten; 
voracious appetite, or aversion to all food ; loss of appe- 
tite in foggy weather ; averse to bread, to butter, to 
meat, to warm food ; desires sweets, spirits, sour, cool- 
ing things ; gastric symptoms from eating fish ; exces- 
sive use of tea ; impure water ; worse from smoking ; 
heartburn after milk ; frequent vomiting, especially at 
night ; slow digestion ; bloating after eating ; catarrh of 
the stomach after severe illness or loss of blood, or in 
persons debilitated and "broken down." 

Hepar sulphur. — The stomach is easily disordered, 
notwithstanding a regular mode of living is followed. 
Heaviness and pressure in the stomach, after moderate 
eating ; unusual hunger in the forenoon ; craving for 
acids, sour and strong-tasting things ; much thirst ; 
aversion to fats ; heartburn ; frequent but momentary 
attacks of nausea ; particularly useful for weak stomach 
produced by taking blue pills or other preparations of 
mercury ; inclination to vomit, with flow of saliva from 
the mouth ; burning in the stomach ; distention of the 
stomach, with desire to loosen the clothing. 

Ipecacuanha. — Catarrh of the stomach ; no appe- 
tite, nausea and vomiting ; indigestion, caused by eat- 
ing raisins, lemon-peel, cake, salads, pastry, pork ; for 
spasms produced by such indigestible articles ; for 
nausea with almost all complaints ; indescribable sick 
feeling in the stomach ; nausea 'and retching from 
smoking ; vomiting of food, bile, jelly-like mucus, or 
of a pitch-like substance ; after vomiting, sleepy ; dys- 
pepsia every other day at the same hour. 

Nux vomica. — For stomach troubles following the 
use of allopathic drugs and mixtures, tonics, liver pills, 



160 AFFECTIONS OF THE STOMACH AND BOWELS. 

coffee, wine ; after mental overexertion ; bad effects 
of a sedentary life ; bitter or sour taste ; sour belching ; 
dizziness, headache, irritable, cross ; always worse in 
the morning ; feels as if he had been pounded after 
sleep ; sleepy in the early evening, but wakens early 
in the morning and cannot go to sleep again ; bowels 
constipated, with frequent unsuccessful desire for 
stool. 

Pulsatilla. — Disordered digestion, caused by fruits, 
fats, pastry. Vomiting, with pale face and chilliness ; 
nausea with colic ; eructations tasting sour, rancid, 
bitter, and smelling of food ; hunger, but knows not 
for what ; eats greedily, followed by vomiting ; thirst- 
less ; weight like a stone in the stomach, worse early 
in the morning on waking ; pain in the pit of the 
stomach. The patient is cross, morose, and easily 
moved to tears. A particular aversion to warm food; 
sleepless after late suppers, or eating too much ; sleep- 
less first part of the night. Sleeps late in the morning. 

Sulphur. — Tedious cases of dyspepsia. The remedy 
should be taken at very long intervals. When improv- 
ing, the patient should wait until the symptoms remain 
stationary, or are worse again, before repeating it. If 
this remedy fails to effect a cure, try Calcarea carb., 
or Mercurius, and then Sulphur again should be tried. 

Veratrum album. — Hunger between paroxysms of 
vomiting ; nausea, with sensation of fainting, generally 
with violent thirst ; vomiting violent, with great cold- 
ness of the body ; cold perspiration and great prostration; 
vertigo ; pale face ; indicated in cases of chronic weak- 
ness of the stomach from dampness of climate and 
want of fresh air, from abuse of quinine. 



' AFFECTIONS OF THE STOMACH AND BOWELS. 161 

Nausea and Vomiting. 
Nausea and vomiting are often combined, but some- 
times there is a persistent nausea without vomiting ; 
sometimes vomiting occurs without any or with but 
slight nausea. Nausea or vomiting alone conveys but 
little idea of the real disease which causes the symptom, 
for it must be considered only as a symptom. Nausea and 
vomiting accompany disease of the stomach, or from 
the introduction of indigestible substances into the 
stomach, which are thrown off because they are irri- 
tants. Likewise nausea and vomiting may result 
from mental emotions in those persons peculiarly sus- 
ceptible to all impressions. Diseases of the brain also 
are accompanied by nausea and vomiting. The vomiting 
of pregnancy is an example of reflex irritation ; also the 
nausea and vomiting following wounds of the extremi- 
ties, in inflammation of the peritoneum, or from a fall ; 
all of these conditions give rise to sympathetic vomiting 
at times. The character and the quantity of the vomit 
are varied of course, and convey some idea of the 
causes which produce the vomiting. Food or liquid 
mixed with saliva and some mucus is expelled when 
the stomach is very irritable, or if an obstruction exists 
which prevents the free entrance into it. Half-digested 
food, tasting strongly sour or acid, is cast out when 
the gastric juice is interfered with or the food has 
been retained for a long time in the stomach. This 
kind of vomiting accompanies chronic inflammation of 
the stomach, and in cancer of that organ. Mucus is 
often ejected in large quantities, both mixed with food 
or clear mucus. When this is the character of the 
vomit, it generally indicates a catarrhal inflammation of 



162 AFFECTIONS OF THE STOMACH AND BOWELS. 

the stomach, which may extend to the bowels, in that 
case mucus will also be evacuated. Bile may find its 
way into the stomach, and if vomited imparts a greenish 
or yellowish color to the vomit, and has a very bitter 
taste. 

The occurrence of bilious vomiting is generally held 
by the laity as indicating a disease of the liver, or that 
the patient is extremely "bilious." It is not a proof of 
either. The effort of vomiting, if repeated, will always 
be accompanied by bitter fluid, from the irritation set 
up by the convulsive action of the stomach in the act 
of ejecting its contents. Blood is not infrequently 
vomited, and the quantity varies of course greatly. It 
may arise from an injury to the stomach, or from 
inflammatory processes, which eat into the smaller blood- 
vessels of the stomach, or it may arise from suppressed 
menstrual flow, and known as ' ' vicarious. " Usually the 
stools contain blood when there is hemorrhage in the 
stomach. Vomiting, therefore, is only a symptom, and 
in the great majority of cases is easily controlled, or it 
is the means by which relief is obtained when the 
stomach contains improper substances. 

Ipecacuanha is the first remedy to be thought of in 
nausea or vomiting, and will cure a large majority of 
cases. The tongue is usually clear or only slightly coated 
when Ipecacuanha is the remedy to be given. 

If the tongue is thickly coated white or yellowish, 
try Antimony crudum. 

When nausea and vomiting follow a fall on the head 
or spine, always give Arnica. 

Nausea caused by riding, give Cocculus. 

Nausea and vomiting from disordered digestion calls 



AFFECTIONS OF THE STOMACH AND BOWELS. 163 

for some one of the remedies mentioned under the 
heading of ' ' Catarrh of the Stomach. " 

Pain or Cramp of the Stomach. 

Pain occurs in many of the gastric disturbances, and 
is of every conceivable description. If the pain is more 
severe soon after meals, or when the stomach is full, 
and more severe after eating a heavy meal of animal 
food than after a light one of cereal food and milk, it 
probably indicates a change in the membranes lining 
the stomach ; it indicates that the trouble lies in the 
improper secretion of the gastric juice. This rule is a 
general one, but not absolute, and therefore should not 
be considered an infallible one. The pains may only 
amount to a sense of fulness, or reach a point when 
they become excruciating. The stomach is often the 
seat of violent paroxysms of pain. These are often 
associated with a chronic affection of the organ, and 
not infrequently they occur when there exists no abnor- 
mal change in the organ, but are purely of a neuralgic 
character, coexisting with a tendency to neuralgic 
pains all over the body, or the pain is brought about by 
some article of food which the stomach does not tolerate 
or is unable to digest. The pains which occur in the 
form of neuralgia are described under the name of 
gastrodynia or gastralgia, or as stomach colic. This 
affection may be brought on by exposure to cold or 
damp weather, a draught of cold water drank when 
heated, sudden and violent emotions, or a collection of 
wind in the alimentary canal. The persons most likely 
to have this painful affection are of a gouty or rheu- 
matic tendency, or persons who are much debilitated, 



16-t AFFECTIONS OF THE STOMACH AND BOWELS. 

although apparently healthy persons may be attacked. 
The pain is usually at the pit of the stomach, and 
radiates from thence to the back, into the chest, bowels, 
or sides of the chest and abdomen. It is not an easy 
matter to decide whether the pain is due entirely to 
simple neuralgia or to disease of the stomach, yet we 
often find in cases of gastralgia that the pain is worse 
in the morning, and is almost immediately relieved by 
a hearty breakfast. When the gastralgia is produced 
by some article of food that disagrees with the individ- 
ual, it is recognized that it is of short duration, and the 
offending article will soon be found out by careful 
observation. When gastralgia is dependent upon disease 
of the stomach, there are other symptoms which point 
to the condition, such as sluggishness of the bowels, 
palpitation of the heart, and shortness of breath after 
meals. After having eaten, the face is apt to flush and 
the palms of the hands grow hot. Persons suffering from 
these symptoms usually attribute them to heart disease, 
and seek aid for that malady, or they think the lungs 
are affected, because associated with the above-men- 
tioned symptoms. 

Nux vomica. — For pains in the stomach, in brandy 
or coffee drinkers, when they abstain from taking these 
drinks ; pain in the bowels two or three hours after 
meals ; bloated feeling, and as if a stone lay in the 
stomach ; clawing, cramping pains in the stomach, and 
pain between the shoulder blades ; pain extends to the 
chest or down the back ; gastralgia worse from food, 
better from hot drinks ; worse in the morning before 
breakfast ; colic from suppression of bleeding piles. 

Chamomilla. — Pressive pain in stomach and be- 



AFFECTIONS OF THE STOMACH AND BOWELS. 165 

neath the short ribs, which prevents easy breathing ; 
pains drive the patient almost frantic ; they cannot 
answer questions, cross and irritable ; gastralgia from 
anger ; the symptoms are worse at night, and profuse 
sweat accompanies the pain, with restless tossing. Coffea 
may relieve, if Chamomilla seems indicated but does not 
relieve. 

Cocculus. — Is indicated when Nux vomica gives 
partial relief only, and the pain returns. The bowels 
are constipated ; the Cocculus patient is not cross or 
ugly, but rather sullen and averse to talking ; nausea 
and vomiting with contractive pains in the stomach, 
relieved by passing wind. 

Bryonia. — Similar to Chamomilla, particularly when 
the cramps begin during meals, or immediately after- 
wards, and the pit and region of the stomach feel as if 
swollen. The pain may be pinching or cutting, which 
is relieved by pressure upon the stomach or by raising 
wind ; the pains are worse from motion (China better 
from motion) ; there is constipation, headache, with 
pressure in the temples, the forehead, or back part of 
the head, as if the bones were being forced asunder, 
which is better when pressed hard or tied tight with a 
handkerchief. 

Pulsatilla. — When the pains are sharp and cutting; 
for flatulent colic in the evening after eating or at 
night ; wind moves about, creating distress ; colic from 
ices, fruits, pastry ; from getting the feet wet ; colic 
obliges the patient to bend forward ; relief from cool 
things, made worse by heat ; chilly with the pains. 

China. — Spasm of the stomach in debilitated per- 
sons ; cold feeling in the stomach after small quantity 



166 AFFECTIONS OF THE STOMACH AND BOWELS. 

of food ; pressure in the stomach, which is not relieved 
by raising wind ; stomach feels sore, cannot bear the 
slightest touch ; pain relieved by motion. China is of 
prime importance in the colic of nursing women. 

Carbo veg. — Flatulent colic ; pain is burning, or 
constant, painful, anxious pressure, worse when touched; 
pain forces the patient to bend, takes away his breath, 
and worse by lying down ; burning pain extends from 
the stomach to back, spreading up to the shoulders from 
the small of the back. 

Cramps in the stomach, occurring periodically, re- 
lieved by vomiting, Hyosciamus. 

Cramps in the stomach in coffee drinkers, Chamo- 
milla and Nux vomica. 

Cramps in the stomach, worse by drinking cold 
water, Calcarea carbonica. 

Cramps in the stomach with nausea, Graphites, 
Natrum mur., Nux vomica. 

Cramps in the stomach with vomiting, Calc. carb., 
Pulsatilla. 

Cramps in the pit of the stomach, Ant. crud. and 
Chelidonium. 



CHAPTER XXIV. 

DISEASES OF THE ABDOMEN. 
Colic. 

This affection is attended with paroxysms of pain, 
referred chiefly to the middle or lower part of the abdo- 
men, and is unattended with much fever or tenderness. 
The pain is usually griping or pinching, and par- 
oxysmal in character. The causes of simple colic are 
usually due to acid fruits, to indigestible food, ' ' catching 
cold,'' to accumulation of wind ("wind colic"), to 
drinking cold water when overheated. Colic is also 
caused by metallic poison, and is met with in painters 
and plumbers. The presence of bile gives rise to ' ' bilious 
colic." This form of colic is preceded by nausea, loss 
of appetite, and a coated tongue ; vomiting soon sets in, 
and is followed by a yellow tinge of the eyes and sore- 
ness over the region of the liver. The passage of gall- 
stones and stones from the kidneys alike resemble ordi- 
nary colic; they can be recognized only when found in 
the stool or urine. There are two signs when present 
which point out the passage of a kidney stone from 
simple colic, and that is the numbness of the thigh and 
retraction of the testicle, but they are not always present 
in this affection even. 

Treatment. — Hot compresses applied to the bowels 
afford relief in some cases ; they require to be changed 
often, and applied as hot as can be endured. A general 



168 DISEASES OF THE ABDOMEN. 

hot bath is also efficacious. One of the following named 
remedies may be administered : — 

Nux vomica. — Is indicated when the patient has 
been given strong tonics or " mixtures " after the abuse 
of liquors ; if there is constipation or frequent desire 
for a stool, with inability to evacuate. 

Colocynth. — When the colic pains are very violent, 
causing the patient to cry out or shriek aloud ; he 
writhes and twists about like a worm ; the patient is 
covered with perspiration ; seeks relief from bending 
over double, or presses the corner of a table against the 
bowels. When the patient has taken opium for the 
pains, and still finds no relief, give coffee first, a tea- 
spoonful without milk or sugar, then administer Colo- 
cynth. If this remedy does not suffice, try Staphysagria. 

Belladonna. — Is indicated in colic, when during the 
pain a thick cord-like swelling protrudes across the 
abdomen ; when the pain is relieved by bending over 
and from pressure. The characteristic pain of Bella- 
donna comes quickly, and is griping, with it a bearing 
down, as if the intestines were about falling out. The 
face is generally very red, and the veins full. 

Cepa. — Violent colic pains either after catching 
cold, particularly from wet feet, or from eating cucum- 
bers, salads, or from eating too much. The pain begins 
in the region of the liver, and extending through the 
whole abdomen ; better from moving about. The pain 
is always worse on the left side ; there is urging to pass 
water, and to go to stool, when Cepa is indicated. 

Cocculus. — The indications for this remedy resemble 
Nux vomica ; there is distention of the abdomen, with 
pressing under the short ribs. Flatulent colic about 



DISEASES OF THE ABDOMEN. 169 

midnight, raising the wind gives no relief. Sensation 
in the abdomen, as if sharp stones rubbed together on 
every movement. 

Ignatia. — Colic which awakens the patient out of 
sleep ; colic after grief or fright. 

Pulsatilla. — Colic worse at night ; no thirst ; tear- 
ful disposition ; from eating fat and greasy food. 

Gelsemium. — Colic with diarrhoea. 

Alumina and Opium. — For lead colic or painters' 
colic. 

China. — Flatulent colic, worse at night ; brought 
on by eating fruits or drinking beer ; profuse perspira- 
tion. 

Arsenicum. — Colic after ice cream and ice water. 

Dulcamara. — Colic from taking cold ; nausea and 
diarrhoea. 

Sepia. — Colic pains in pregnant or lying-in women. 

In the preceding pages the affections of the abdomen 
have been spoken of which have no tenderness of the 
abdomen, or fever. We will now consider those condi- 
tions which give rise to marked tenderness and pain in 
bowels, confined to small areas or diffused over the 
abdomen. When a. patient complains of tenderness of 
the abdomen, attended with pain, the following diseases 
should be thought of as indicated, by those symptoms, 
viz. : — 

Acute enteritis, or inflammation of the small intes- 
tines. 

Acute peritonitis, confined to certain spots or all 
over the surface of the bowels. 

Inflammation of the womb or bladder. 

Eheumatism of the abdominal walls. 



170 DISEASES OF THE ABDOMEN. 

The symptoms of enteritis are those of colic, 
attended with fever, and tenderness to touch. The 
fever may run high. There is nausea and vomiting. 
The tongue is clean and of natural appearance, or it is 
coated white, or again it may he red and dry. There 
may be diarrhoea or constipation. A mild form of this 
disease is recognized, attended with the above symptoms, 
except the fever is not high, and diarrhoea is always 
present. This last-mentioned form of enteritis is com- 
mon in children, especially during dentition. The disease 
may pass off in a week or two, or the symptoms abate 
somewhat, leaving a chronic catarrhal inflammation, 
which may continue for months. 

Peritonitis, as well as enteritis, is attended with pain 
and tenderness of the bowels. In peritonitis the nausea 
and vomiting are more marked, the bowels more dis- 
turbed. There is constant desire to urinate ; fever is 
very high. This disease is very dangerous, and requires 
the services of the most competent physicians to suc- 
cessfully treat it. It is considered a good sign when 
the pain gradually subsides, and the pulse grows 
stronger. The methods of treatment followed by 
allopathic physicians in this malady are productive of 
lasting injury", even should the patient recover. They 
rely almost entirely on morphine, thinking that to 
conquer the pain is the most rational thing to do. 

Inflammation of the womb would be recognized by 
the location of the tenderness, and there being no swell- 
ing of the bowels. 

Inflammation of the bladder presents many similar 
symptoms to the above-mentioned diseases, and from 
them it may be distinguished by the character of the 



DISEASES OF THE ABDOMEN. 171 

urine, which is scanty and painful, is cloudy instead 
of clear as in peritonitis. 

Kheumatism of the abdominal walls is not infrequent, 
and might be mistaken for peritonitis, but the pain is 
not so constant, nor is it so suddenly produced. It is 
also less affected by movements or by pressure. Not 
that these diminish it, on the contrary, they aggravate 
it ; but deep pressure causes little or no more pain than 
slight pressure, and it is only during certain motions, 
when the abdominal muscles are placed on a stretch, 
that the pain is severe, or sometimes, indeed, at all 
produced. The pain is often one-sided, or more marked 
on one side. There is generally slight fever. 

Treatment of Catarrhal Inflammation of the Inner Lining 
of the Bowels. 

It has been explained how these varying abdominal 
diseases differ in symptoms, and the remedies may be 
properly applied to them all, if the indications which 
arise in each individual case are carefully noted, with- 
out distinction to the names applied to the different 
conditions. 

Aconite will, in most cases, be required at the com- 
mencement. It may be given quite often for a short 
time if the dose is not too strong, and then wait for 
a while, after which some other remedy may be re- 
quired. 

Aloes. — Pain and rumbling in the bowels before 
stool ; escape of large quantities of wind with the stool. 

Antimony crudum. — Tongue coated white ; nausea 
and vomiting ; watery diarrhoea ; thirst at night. 

Arsenicum. — Colicky pain, and diarrhoea like water, 



172 DISEASES OF THE ABDOMEN. 

nausea, retching, and vomiting ; diarrhoea may be accom- 
panied by pain or without pain, worse about midnight ; 
sudden prostration and thirst for small sips of water 
frequently ; great restlessness ; prostration and fear of 
death ; cutting pains in the abdomen ; abdomen dis- 
tended and painful. 

Bryonia. — Griping pains about the navel ; sudden 
painful cuttings in the intestines, with a feeling as 
though one were digging him with the fingers, com- 
pelling him to bend double ; relieved by profuse pasty 
evacuations ; great sensitiveness of the abdomen ; stitch- 
ing pains in the abdomen flying upwards ; hard, black, 
and dry stools, as if burnt, and rather scanty ; great 
thirst for large quantities of water ; better from rest, 
worse from least movement. 

Belladonna. — Abdomen distended like a drum ; 
during the pain, protrusion extending across the abdo- 
men like a pad ; colic-like pains, as if a spot in the 
abdomen were squeezed by the finger nails. Abdomen 
very sensitive to pressure ; cannot bear the slightest 
touch, not even the bedclothes ; great pain in the right 
side low down, towards the groin ; great thirst ; desires 
lemonade. Vomiting of mucus, of bile and mucus, of 
undigested food ; can keep nothing down. Sleepy, yet 
cannot sleep ; starts when on the point of falling asleep. 
Violent, throbbing headache. 

• Chamomilla. — Diarrhoea of teething children ; stools 
look like chopped eggs, smelling like spoiled eggs. 
Pain in the bowels from side to side, just above the 
navel, commencing in the right side, going over to the 
left. Pain in the bowels is excruciating, with pain also 
in the back, and extends down to the thighs. Children 



DISEASES OF THE ABDOMEN. 173 

are cross and fretful ; want to be carried all the time. 
One cheek pale, the other red. The patient is cross and 
impatient, nothing pleases. 

China. — Abdomen distended, feels full, wants to 
belch, but it does not give relief ; painless diarrhoea ; 
stools brownish, frothy, worse at night. 

Dulcamara. — Diarrhoea from sudden change in the 
weather from warm to cold, especially cold, damp 
weather ; chilly feeling in the small of the back ; 
nausea, loss of appetite ; great chilliness during the 
vomiting. 

Ipecacuanha. — Diarrhoea and vomiting during den- 
tition ; griping pains in the bowels ; cutting pains, 
extending from left to right side : vomiting makes him 
feel worse, instead of relieving. 

Mercurius viv. — Abdomen tense, hard, swollen, and 
sensitive. Pain in the bowels, which does not allow 
the patient to lie on the right side. Bitter taste in the 
mouth ; more thirst than hunger ; constant chilliness 
and dread of air. Diarrhoea, stools slimy, green, or 
bloody; great straining, "never get done feeling." 
Worse at night. Mercurius follows Belladonna well, 
also indicated after Lachesis. 

Nux vomica. — After previous use of quack medi- 
cines, teas, opium, brandy. 

Pulsatilla. — Painful sensitiveness of the abdomen 
to touch ; pressure in the abdomen and small of the 
back, as from a stone ; desire to loosen the clothing ; 
diarrhoea worse at night ; chilliness ; absence of thirst ; 
easily moved to tears ; bitter taste in the mouth ; coated 
tongue ; disordered stomach ; nausea. 

Sulphur. — When well-chosen remedies fail to pro- 



174 DISEASES OF THE ABDOMEN. 

duce permanent good, a dose of Sulphur tends to arouse 
the system, when the indicated remedy will bring about 
a cure. Intestines feel as if strung in knots ; worse 
from bending forward. Painful sensitiveness of ab- 
domen to touch, as if internally raw and sore. Early 
morning diarrhoea, driving the patient out of bed. 

Veratrum album. — Burning in the abdomen, as 
from hot coals ; peritonitis, with vomiting and diar- 
rhoea ; skin cold and bathed in cold perspiration ; 
features sunken, pulse small. Patient seems very low ; 
complains of feeling icy cold ; cold feeling in the 
abdomen ; diarrhoea coming on suddenly at night ; 
vomiting and purging ; faintness ; cramps in the ex- 
tremities, beginning in the feet and hands ; profuse 
watery diarrhoea. 

Besides the above-mentioned diseases of the abdom- 
inal organs, there are many others of serious nature 
which might be mentioned, but they require great 
skill to diagnose correctly, and would not therefore 
properly belong in a work of this kind ; they come under 
this same heading of diseases attended with pain and 
marked tenderness to pressure over the abdomen, but 
with this distinction, that the tenderness is in the right 
side of the bowels, opposite the hip. They will merely 
be referred to by name. 

Affections of caecum or appendix (known as the 
pocket). 

Inflammation of the right ovary. 

Abscess, deep, in the right side of pelvis. 

Abscess of the abdominal walls. 

Invagination of the bowels ("a slipping of a tuck 
of intestine into the cavity of the portion of intestinal 



DISEASES OF THE ABDOMEN. 175 

tube immediately below it, with which it is contin- 
uous"). 

It is intended that by stating the diseases so often 
mistaken for each other that may have their locality in 
this part of body, and all of them of so serious a nature, 
to impress upon the laity the importance of employing 
skilful physicians, instead of trying in any way to 
tamper with themselves by home medication. 

Never give aperients, although there is usually ob- 
stinate constipation in all the above referred to diseases ; 
the less this symptom is interfered with, the sooner will 
the patient be restored to health. Cathartics and emetics 
may not always prove fatal if administered, though 
they certainly have when given in this class of diseases ; 
certain it is, however, they may produce a chronic 
malady which is difficult to cure. Constipation is 
looked upon as a favorable sign in these complaints. 
Typhoid fever, which will be spoken of under the head- 
ing of "Fevers," likewise has marked tenderness over 
the right side of the abdomen opposite the hip, with dis- 
tention of the bowels. 

Worms. 

There are many physicians who doubt the existence 
of worms in the human being, but it seems somewhat 
singular that all of them have not had visible proof of 
their existence. Too much importance has been attrib- 
uted to the presence of worms, and by the laity are 
looked upon as the cause of disease, rather than the 
result of some dietetic error. The late Dr. Hering has 
so well expressed these ideas, that it will be well to 
quote his views: "Many complaints are ascribed to 



176 DISEASES OF THE ABDOMEN. 

worms which arise from very different causes. When 
children have been fed upon pap, cakes, and similar 
articles of a hurtful nature, or when the mother, whilst 
nursing, overloads her stomach with meat, fish, salted 
and fat things, particularly with pies, the children must 
necessarily become sick in consequence, or a predisposi- 
tion to sickness be induced. If the children are kept 
too warm, get little outdoor air, and besides this, are 
dosed with vermifuges, injections, purgatives, etc., the 
worms cannot fail to prosper and increase. When chil- 
dren are supposed to have worms, the first thing to be 
looked to is a rational mode of living, by which means 
the worms will soon diminish, and if symptoms of the 
complaint remain, the remedies will afterwards prove 
the more effective. Most persons are by far too much 
afraid of these little creatures, which are not nearly so 
noxious as the remedies usually prescribed for them, 
and particularly as the nostrums advertised in the 
newspapers. Simple persons believe in these things, 
and pay for the trash, when, if they knew what they or 
their children were swallowing, they would rather pay 
twice as much to keep it out of the house, to say nothing 
of their bodies. It is true these things sometimes kill 
the worms, but too frequently they kill the children also, 
or affect the abdomen in such a manner that the con- 
sequences appear many years after. 

" First, it is to be considered that almost all children 
have worms, sometimes before they are born, and that 
it is frequently a sign of a dangerous disease when these 
worms pass off spontaneously ; secondly, that what 
these worms subsist upon in the body is more hurtful 
than the worms themselves. Almost all symptoms 



DISEASES OF THE ABDOMEN. 177 

attributed to worms may arise from some general disease 
in the system, which has a tendency to increase them, 
especially if aided by an unwise mode of living. When 
the worms are expelled, the symptoms which they gave 
rise to, of course, disappear, but the real disease may 
increase. Sometimes diseases subsequently make their 
appearance which are worse than the first, although 
slower in their operation, and perhaps not manifesting 
themselves until the tenth or twelfth year. Expelling 
the worms is of no essential use. The remedies here 
prescribed will frequently cure the disease itself, and if 
there are really too many worms, which is but rarely 
the case, will remove them also. Children who have 
worms should have enough to eat, but not too much 
bread, very little salt, and few or no cakes or pies, but 
in preference a good deal of ripe cooked or dried fruits, 
and in particular carrots. 

' ' When you are not certain of the existence of 
worms, and the child becomes emaciated, and vomits 
frequently, give first Ipecacuanha ; but when the tongue 
is coated, Carbo vegetabilis ; if this has no effect, Pulsa- 
tilla ; if the child has been much troubled with diar- 
rhoea, or has taken much aperient medicine, give 
Cinchona ; when the bowels are constipated, Nux 
vomica; when the child passes worms occasionally, 
picks its nose much, and the belly is distended, give 
Cina, which is one of the chief remedies for all com- 
plaints really arising from worms. 

' ' For colic caused by worms, with frequent inclina- 
tion to vomit, when much water collects in the mouth, 
and the parts around the navel are hard, also when the 
whole abdomen is hard and distended, with frequent 



178 DISEASES OF THE ABDOMEN. 

ineffectual straining to evacuate, or secretion of noth- 
ing but slime, give first Aconitum ; some hours later, 
Cina ; and if this is not sufficient, Mercurius. In all 
complaints caused by worms, Aconitum is of great use 
in the beginning, and if this and the other remedies 
mentioned above do not remove them, Sulphur should 
be given, and will be found to be of great value, partic- 
ularly after Mercurius. These remedies will generally 
effect a cure. In rare cases, attended with much thirst, 
sudden starting and fright, Belladonna may be required. 

' ' In very bad cases it may also be necessary to give 
Lachesis. 

''Persons troubled with tapeworms discharge joints 
of this worm from time to time. These pieces are 
nearly square, quite flat, about as broad as the little 
finger. There is no sure sign of the existence of tape- 
worms, except the discharge of pieces of this descrip- 
tion, which generally pass away about the new and full 
moon. Tapeworms may frequently be destroyed by 
taking, when the moon is waning, two mornings suc- 
cessively, a dose of Sulphur, and at the next full moon, 
Mercurius, in the same way, and eight days after, Sul- 
phur again twice. Eepeat these remedies in the same 
order several times. Sometimes the tapeworm is dis- 
charged after taking a few doses of Calcarea. If this 
treatment does not effect a cure, apply to a homoeo- 
pathic physician." 

Itching- of the Anus, Seatworms. 

Seatworms, or pinworms, are very minute, thread- 
like creatures, which infest the rectum only, and cause 
most distressing itching. These little worms sometimes 



DISEASES OF THE ABDOMEN. 179 

crawl from the back passage to the genital organs, and 
cause even greater trouble, as the person often is obliged 
to rub the parts excessively ; in some cases this leads to 
masturbation. The other diseases which cause itching 
of the anus are piles, pruritus ani, and eczema. These 
will be found under the heading, ' ; Diseases of the Eec- 
tum." 

Treatment. — Injections of cold water every evening 
will be found serviceable, or the introduction of a small 
piece of fat bacon within the passage, a small piece 
attached to a string, allowing it to remain fifteen min- 
utes to half an hour, and then removing it. 

Lemon juice, salt and water, vinegar and water, have 
also proved efficacious. Teucrium is said to be specific 
for this trouble. 

Nux vom., Ignatia, Ferrum, Calc. carb., Silicea, 
or Sulphur should be prescribed, according to the symp- 
toms in each case. 

Constipation. 

The average mind often elevates the function of 
defecation from the lowest to the highest position in the 
wonderful mechanism of our bodies. A purgative is 
considered as the essential remedy in the vast majority 
of sicknesses. If constipation is one of the conditions 
present, and even if it is not, great good is expected to 
follow the free "clearing out " of the bowels. Dr. Epps 
aptly says : ' ' The practice of giving purgatives for -the 
cure of diseases is founded upon an assumption that 
the constipation is the keystone that binds all other 
symptoms of the disease together, whereas it is merely 
one of the many stones that go to form the diseased 






180 DISEASES OF THE ABDOMEN. 

structure. No doubt its presence arrests the attention, 
and vulgar minds are apt to notice that which is most 
apparent. Cultivated minds penetrate deeper, and dis- 
cover that that which is less obtrusive is often the more 
important." 

Constipation as a disease in itself should not for a 
moment be considered. If one would stop to consider 
the endless processes involved in feeding, distribut- 
ing, and of elimination to preserve life, we would hesi- 
tate for a time and ask the question, Where lies the 
trouble that has for its expression constipation as a symp- 
tom alone ? Constipation does not exist without more 
important and more reliable symptoms. It is one of the 
insignificant ones, and should not be considered a disease. 
Watch carefully all the workings of the human system ; 
note all its departures from a state of health ; and when 
they are corrected, then will the process of elimination 
of the waste be natural. Constipation depends upon a 
constitutionally deranged state. Cathartics never cure 
constipation ; they increase the trouble, and tempora- 
rily cause another disease ; either diarrhoea or far too 
frequently death has followed the use of purgatives. 
The strong dose of medicine does relax the bowels, and 
for a time gives a sense of relief, but the next day or 
after their continued use they are inert, and the con- 
stipation is never more stubborn. To attempt to 
restore the secreting powers of the bowels or of the 
liver by thus artificially spurring them to unnatural 
actions is like attempting to recruit the exhausted 
powers of the horse by spurring his sides till they bleed. 
You may urge him on from time to time, but it is only 
at an increased expense of energy, and only tends ulti- 



DISEASES OF THE ABDOMEN. 181 

mately to a more rapid exhaustion of his powers. One 
evacuation daily is proper for a person in robust health, 
but in the thin, pale, delicate, and weakly, especially if 
they are small eaters, they are better with four or five 
stools a week than with seven or eight. The stools are 
but excretions, and should be in proportion to the 
activity of the system. The great error is in regarding 
constipation as the want of discharges from the bowels, 
rather than the want being created through too little 
substances being sent into them. Hence, cathartic 
medicines tend to drain the system, already too dry, 
instead of the rational method of increasing the secre- 
tions. Many and varied are the arguments used to 
justify the use of purgative medicines. People fear an 
accumulation in the bowels. What of that ? Were 
not the bowels made for just such a purpose ? We 
know that the length of the intestinal tube is about five 
times our height : hence there is room enough for quite 
an accumulation. The stomach, with the intestines, is 
made for the purpose of receiving food, to digest it 
when received, to carry it forward, when digested, 
through the tube; and nature has, in the arrangements 
for so digesting the food, and for carrying it forward, 
acted quite efficiently to prevent accumulations ; for 
the churning motion of the stomach is but the begin- 
ning of an action throughout the whole tube. Such a 
tube is not a dead machine, a mere sewer. If this 
function is impaired, then constipation may be one of 
the many symptoms produced which indicate a diseased 
state. To attempt to cure this, or any condition of the 
intestinal tube by administering purgatives, is proved 
to be incorrect ; because it is a well-known fact that 



182 DISEASES OF THE ABDOMEN. 

diseased states proceed in their injurious course, not- 
withstanding the bowels are forced to act daily. An- 
other argument is embodied in the expression, "I 
always feel better when my bowels act regularly." 
No doubt such is the case. Why not add, ' ' I always 
feel better when I am well." There is no doubt that a 
forced action of sluggish bowels may relieve, but it is 
only temporary. Persons argue that when the bowels 
act, relief follows ; therefore the action brought relief ; 
then they reason, " When I am not well, my bowels do 
not act. I will force them by purgatives, and I shall 
be well." This part of the argument does not hold 
true. From the above -stated views it is desired that 
this much should be remembered : that constipation is 
the result of something wrong in the system, and not 
that the system is wrong from the constipation. Do 
not force the bowels by powerful doses of medicines. 
Select a remedy that covers all the symptoms. At the 
same time, attention should be paid to the manner of 
living ; moderation in the use of meat, which had better 
be taken only once a day ; a free use of salted food is to 
be avoided, mastication attended to, or the food be well 
cut up, if the teeth are poor or absent; vegetables, fruit, 
and coarse bread to be taken freely ; strong or green 
tea and all spirituous liquors to be avoided. Buttermilk 
is one of the best of beverages in this condition. Avoid 
cheese, smoking before meals, better still not at all. 
Drink freely of cold water. Take plenty of exercise, 
walking particularly up hill. Persons who are costive 
should be regular in soliciting the bowels to move. 
Strictures of the bowels, tumors, displaced uterus, pa- 
ralysis, etc., are attended with constipation, but belong 



DISEASES OF THE ABDOMEN. 183 

to mechanical causes in the main, and should be treated 
accordingly. 

Treatment. — Antimony crudum. — Headache, dull, 
stupefying ; worse walking in the open air ; aversion to 
food ; deranged stomach, after suppressed eruptions ; 
alternate diarrhoea and constipation with old people ; 
difficult hard stool ; feces too large ; sensation as if large 
stool passed, but only wind escapes, with finally very 
hard stool. 

Alumina. — Inactivity of the rectum ; even the 
soft stool requires great straining ; stools hard and 
knotty, like sheep dung, with cutting in the anus, fol- 
lowed by blood. Constipation of nursing children. 

Bryonia. — Constipation, stools hard and black ; 
look as if burned ; particularly useful in constipation 
occurring in warm weather or if worse then, and in 
persons who suffer from rheumatism ; irritability of 
temper. 

Nux vom. — Constipation occurring in persons of 
sedentary habits, and those accustomed to drinking 
ardent spirits ; also for constipation occasioned by eat- 
ing too great a variety of food at once ; after surfeiting, 
or when constipation is preceded by diarrhoea, or for 
suppressed diarrhoea, with want of appetite ; disagree- 
able taste ; the tongue slimy, coated, loathing ; sick- 
ness of the stomach ; frequent ineffectual efforts for 
stool. 

Platina. — When, after much straining, the pieces 
are evacuated in small quantities ; straining and itching 
at the anus ; shuddering over the whole body after 
every evacuation, accompanied by a weak feeling in 
abdomen, with contraction, bearing down ; oppression 



184 DISEASES OF THE ABDOMEN. 

of the stomach, and ineffectual efforts to belch wind. 
Suitable for constipation after or while travelling. 

Lachesis. — For protracted costiveness, ineffectual 
urgings ; anus feels closed ; beating in the anus as from 
hammers ; rectum comes down. 

Nat rum muriaticum. — In tedious cases, where there 
is no inclination whatever to evacute ; stools, if any, 
are scanty, hard and insufficient ; anus feels contracted ; 
emaciation even while living well. 

Sepia. — For unsuccessful urging to stool ; only 
wind and mucus passed ; sensation of a lump in the 
back passage ; stools insufficient ; patient feels better 
in the open air ; can't tolerate a warm room. 

Silicea. — Constipation ; stools large or composed of 
hard lumps, light colored ; expulsion difficult ; when 
partly expelled, it slips back again. 

Sulphur. — Frequent unsuccessful desire for stool. 
Constipation and diarrhoea alternately. 

Diarrhoea. 

Much that has been said under the heading of ' ' Con- 
stipation " is equally applicable to diarrhoea. Both 
states occur as an accompaniment in a vast number of 
diseases, but other symptoms more characteristic than 
these are to be noted. There are several varieties of 
diarrhoea. The length of time the diarrhoea has con- 
tinued is distinguished by the terms "acute" or "chronic" 
form. Acute diarrhoea may arise from more than one 
cause ; it may be excited by improper food, excessive 
heat, getting wet, impure air, cutting teeth, sudden 
fright, fear or anticipation of some important event. 
Diarrhoea likewise may be the precursor of some other 



DISEASES OF THE ABDOMEN. 1S5 

disease. Chronic diarrhoea is usually the result of a 
neglected or badly treated acute attack, or as the result 
of injudicious treatment of a previous sickness, the 
abuse of purgatives, or a symptom of some consti- 
tutional disease. One form of looseness of the bowels 
is called membranous enteritis. Here the discharges 
show shreds of membrane or skin- like substances in 
connection with the loose stool, or the evacuation from 
the bowels may be entirely of membranes. This disease 
may be intermittent in character, varying in severity, 
and likewise very obstinate to cure. Hysterical symp- 
toms are very often associated with this trouble. 

Dysentery is perhaps most likely to be confounded 
with ordinary diarrhoea. The character of the stools is 
different. In dysentery the stools are small, consisting 
of bloody mucus, highly offensive, but no real feces are 
discharged, while diarrhoea is attended with liquid fecal 
stools ; the latter disease may terminate in dysentery. 
Dysentery, instead of being diarrhoea as commonly be- 
lieved, is just the reverse ; it is constipation, and the 
seat of the disease is in some portion of the large intes- 
tines. If children while teething have diarrhoea of 
moderate degree, do not at once try to check it; if there 
are no other symptoms, wait a day. At the beginning 
of any attack of looseness of the bowels, immediately 
regulate the diet, avoiding all acids, coffee, tea, and 
everything salt should be denied ; fruit, eggs, chicken, 
veal, and vegetables should likewise be withheld. 
Arrowroot, imperial granum, flour gruel, barley water, 
crust coffee, mutton broth thickened with rice flour or 
sago, and scalded milk are articles of diet that can be 
recommended in acute diarrhoea or dysentery. 



186 DISEASES OF THE ABDOMEN. 

Chronic diarrhoea requires a greater variety of and 
more nutritious food ; mutton, beef, poultry, soft eggs, 
game if not old, meat broths, rice and milk, milk as a 
beverage ; avoid vegetables in the main, unless certain 
varieties are known not to disagree. In cholera morbus 
the diet is somewhat different. During the attack no 
food whatever is required ; after the attack no solid 
food should be taken until the stools are consistent or 
fecal. 

Cholera Morbus, Summer Complaint. 

Like cholera infantum of infants, cholera morbus, or 
summer complaint, is a disease of the hot season, yet it 
is also observed at other seasons of the year. Although 
heat is generally the exciting cause which develops this 
disorder, there probably are some other conditions which 
occasion it ; such as exposure, checked perspiration, 
drinking large quantities of ice water, or imprudence in 
eating unripe fruits, cucumbers, etc. This disease is 
characterized by violent purging and vomiting with 
the attending symptoms of griping, great thirst, and 
sometimes by cramps and coldness of the extremi- 
ties. In some cases the disease seems to overcome the 
patient very early, and we find coldness of the skin, cold 
perspiration, faintness, pinched features, sunken eyes, 
and collapse even. Death from this disease some- 
times occurs after a very short illness, but this is in rare 
and exceptional cases. The attacks usually come on 
suddenly, and especially at night, or the disease is some- 
times preceded by colicky pains, nausea, and rumbling 
in the intestines. Cholera morbus can hardly be mis- 
taken for any other disease except true cholera, and from 



DISEASES OF THE ABDOMEN. 1ST 

it we distinguish by the greater severity of the symp- 
toms in the latter disease, the rice-water evacuations, 
the early appearance of collapse or sinking, and from 
the epidemic character of cholera. During an epidemic 
of cholera never go out without first taking some light 
nourishment, eat no fresh bread nor sour food, and 
leave alcoholic drinks alone. This is not only a pre- 
ventative in cholera, but also in many other epidemic 
diseases. Cholera morbus is recognized as differing 
from simple looseness of the bowels by the occurrence 
of purging and vomiting. 

Treatment. — The remedies here mentioned will be 
applicable to diarrhoea, acute and chronic, cholera mor 
bus, cholera, and dysentery. Before prescribing, note 
carefully all the symptoms, the character of the stool, 
the kind of pain, and when it occurs, whether before, 
during, or after stool, or all, the time of day or night 
when the symptoms are worse, the influence of eating, 
of heat or cold, and the causes which produced the 
attack. Prescribe only one remedy at a time, and ad- 
minister a dose immediately after a stool or attack of 
vomiting, and stop the remedy as soon as improvement 
begins. 

Acute Diarrhoea. — Antimony crud., Arnica, Arseni- 
cum, China, Croton tig. , Colocynth, Dulcamara, Ipecac- 
uanha, Gambogia, Iris v., Magnesium carb., Merc, v., 
Podophyllum, Pulsatilla, Kheum. 

Chronic Diarrhoea. — Arsenicum, Calc. carb., China, 
Ferrum, Graph., Hepar sulph., Iodine, Kali bich., 
Lachesis, Lycopodium, Natrum sulph., Phosphorus, 
Sulphur, Thuya. 

Cholera Morbus. — Antimonium carb., Arsenicum, 



188 DISEASES OF THE ABDOMEN. 

Camphor, Croton tig., Dioscorea, Ipecacuanha, Iris 
versicolor, Podophyllum, Veratrum alb. 

Dysentery. — Aconite, Aloes, Apis mel., Arsenicum, 
Baptisia, Belladonna, Cantharis, Capsicum, China, Col- 
chicum, Colocynthis, Mercurius cor., Mercurius v., ^sux 
vom., Rhus tox., Sulphur, Tartar emet., Veratrum alb. 

CHARACTER OF THE STOOLS. 

Color black. — Aeon., Apis, Biy., Camph., Capsic, 
China, Iris v., Merc, v., Pod., Sulph. 
" bluish. — Phos. 

" broivn. — Aeon., Aloe, Apis, Ars., Arn., Bapt., 
Camph., China, Graph., Iris v., Merc, v., 
Nux v., Sulph., Tartar emetic. Verat. alb. 
" chalk-like. — Cede, c, Hepar sulph., Lach., Pod. 
" chocolate-like. — Ars., China, Lach. 
" clay -color eel. — Hep. snip. 

" green. — Aeon., Aloe, Apis, Ars., Bry., Calc. c, 
Cham., China, Croton tig., Bute, Gamb., Hep, 
snip., Iris v., Mag. carb., Merc, c, Merc, v., 
Natr. s., Nuxv., Podo., Puis., Rheum, Sulph., 
Tart, emet., Yerat. a. 
grass green. — Ipecac. 
green, like chopped spinach. — Aeon. 
greenish yellow. — Apis. 
white, with masses like tedlow. — Magn. c. 
whitish gray, streaked with blood. — Calc. c. 
yellow. — Aloes, Ant. c, Apis, Ars., Bapt., Bell., 
China, Coloc, Croton tig.. Diosc, Dulc, 
Gamb., Hepar snip., Ipec, Iris v., Lach., 
Lycop., Magn. c, Merc, c, Merc, v., Natr. s., 
Phos., Podo., Puis., Rhus, Sulphur. Tart. emet. 
yellow, like stirred eggs. — Cham. 



DISEASES OF THE ABDOMEN. 189 

Color yelloic, turning green on standing. — Eheum. 
Bloody. — Aeon., Aloe, Apis, Am., Ars., Bapt., Bell., 
Bry., Calc. c., Canth., Capsicum, Cham., 
China, Coloc, Dulc, Ferr., Hep. sulp., Iod., 
Ipec., Iris, Laeh., Lye., Merc, cor., Merc, v., 
Nuxvom., Natr. s., Phos., Podo., Puis., Sulph., 
Tart, emet., Yerat. alb. 
Blood, great quantity of. — Merc. c. 

" in streaks. — Calc. carb., Sulph., Podo. 
Stools painless. — Apis, Am., Bapt., Borax, Bry., 
Camph., Cham., China, Croton tig., Ferr., 
Hep. sidp., Lye, Natr. s., Phos., Podop., 
Sulph., Yerat. a. 
pouring out. — Aloe, Croton tig., Podop., Sulph. 
copious. — Croton tig., Yerat. a., Podop. 
membranous. — Canth. , Colch. 
shooting out. — Crot. tig. 

small. — Aloe, Ars., Caps., Cham., Croton tig., 
Merc, v., Merc, c, Nux vom. 

odor of stools. 
Odor coppery. — Iris v. 

" eggs, rotten-like. — Cham. 

" putrid. — Ars., Bapt., China, Ipec, Podop. 

" soar. — Eheum, Sulph. 

TIME WHEN STOOLS ARE WORSE. 

Drinking, after. — Ars., Crot. tig., Ferr., Lach., Podo., 

Sulph., Yerat. a. 
Drinks, alcoholic, after. — Lach. 
Eating, while.- — Ferr. 
Fright and fear, after. — Gels. 
Grief. — Coloc, Gels., Ign., Phos. ac. 



190 DISEASES OF THE ABDOMEN. 

Morning, 6 A. M. — Arg. n. 

Morning, before rising. — Sulph. 

Morning, after rising and moving about. — Bry., Nat. s. 

Overheating, after. — Aeon., Aloes, Ant. c. 

Smell of broth, eggs, fish, or meat cooking. — Colch. 

Veal, after eating. — Kali nit. 

Vexation, after. — Coloc. 

SYMPTOMS BEFORE STOOLS. 

Colic. — Aloes, Bapt., Canth., Cham., Coloc., Diosc, 
Dulc., Gamb., Ipec, Lye, Rheum, Verat. a. 

Difficulty of retaining stool. — Aloe, Sulph. 

Fainting. — Ars., Dig. 

Flatus, desire for, but knows not whether wind or feces 
will escape. — Nat. mur. 

Nausea. — Aeon., Bry., Calc. c., Dulc., Ipec, Merc. v. 

Urging, sudden. — Phos., Podo., Sulph. 

Vomiting. — Ars. , Dig. , Ipec. 

SYMPTOMS DURING STOOLS. 

Colic. — Cham., Coloc, Crot. tig., Podo., Iris y. 

Worms, discharge of. — Calc. c, Cina. 

Back, pain. — JEscul. 

Bladder, urging and bearing down. — Canth., Merc. c. 

Faintness. — Crot. tig. , Verat. a. 

Hunger. — Aloe. 

Nausea. — Ipec, Merc, v., Verat. a. 

Paleness. — Verat. a, 

Never get done feeling. — Merc y. , Merc cor. 

Vomiting. — Ipec, Verat. a. 

SYMPTOMS AFTER STOOLS. 

Colic. — Diosc, Puis., Kheum, Coloc, Merc, c, Merc y., 
Podo., G-ambog\ 



DISEASES OF THE ABDOMEN. 191 

Empty feeling in abdomen. — Verat. 

Anus prolapsus. — Ars., Merc. Poclo., Sulph. 

Anus, smarting. — Canth., Gamb., Sulph. 

Anus, weight, sense of. — Aloe. 

Exhaustion. — Yerat. a. 

Fainting. — Aloe. 

Faintness. — Verat. 

Piles. — Aloe. 

Relief of colic. — Gamb. 

Strain, desire to. — Merc, v., Merc, c, Caps., Canth., 

Ipec. 
Vertigo. — Croton tig. 
Vomiting. — Arg. n. 

SYMPTOMS OF REMEDIES. 

Aconite. — Especially useful in the beginning of acute 
diseases of the bowels, and often cuts short dysentery 
and even cholera morbus. It resembles Dulc. The stools 
are watery, green, or bloody. Small, painful, very 
frequent stools. Indicated iu diarrhoea or dysentery 
after getting wet or taking cold ; skin hot and dry, great 
thirst ; intense restlessness ; full, hard, very quick pulse. 

Aloes. — Is especially indicated when the stools are 
yellow, fecal, or bloody ; jelly-like mucus, or small 
dysenteric stool. Stools occur most often in the early 
morning, in hot damp weather. There is also a great 
sense of weakness in the back passage, as if he could 
not restrain the movement or dare to pass wind. Loud 
gurgling in the abdomen, as of water running out of a 
bottle. Hunger with an attack of diarrhoea is a strong 
indication, especially when this symptom is met with in 
children. Aloes resembles Sulphur. 

Antimony crudum. — Diarrhoea from disordered 



192 DISEASES OF THE ABDOMEN. 

stomach ; nausea, vomiting, and heavily coated tongue. 
Indicated in diarrhoea from overheating ; in aged per- 
sons. Absence of thirst is a distinguishing symptom 
of this remedy. 

Apis met. — In infantile diarrhoea and cholera infan- 
tum, Apis is a good remedy. The absence of thirst, 
with a dry tongue, and dry hot skin, a bruised soreness 
of the abdominal walls, are guiding symptoms ; when 
the stools are greenish, yellowish, watery, involuntary, 
stupor with shrieks occasionally. 

Arsenicum. — This remedy is often prescribed when 
it should not be for diarrhoea, and requires the follow- 
ing symptoms to be present : violent, unquenchable, 
burning thirst, with frequent drinking of small quanti- 
ties of water ; great restlessness ; constantly changing 
place ; vomiting, immediately after eating or drinking; 
stool is composed of thick dark green mucus ; brown 
mucus ; bloody, dark, watery, offensive stool, smelling 
like carrion. Pain may be present or it may not ; more 
often great pain. 

Borax. — Diarrhoea in nursing infants ; stools light 
yellow, slimy mucus ; green mucus, painless ; constant 
vomiting, with painless diarrhoea ; frequent urination, 
preceded by cries ; dread of downward motion, as 
swinging, riding in an elevator, or rocking. 

Camphor. — Is principally useful in the very com- 
mencement of diseases of the bowels. Eice- water 
discharges, generally painless. Attack very sudden. 
Sudden and great sinking of strength. Icy coldness of 
the whole body. No thirst. Camphor is most promi- 
nent in collapse, when stools and vomiting stop, and the 
end seems near at hand. 






DISEASES OF THE ABDOMEN. 193 

Cantharis. — Stools white or reddish mucus, like 
scrapings of the intestines. Burning after urination. 

Chamomilla. — Diarrhoea during dentition when 
children cry very much, and are only stilled by being 
carried about. Eedness of one cheek. Stools green, 
slimy mucus ; mixed white and green mucus, smelling 
like bad eggs ; compare Cina. After Cham., give Merc, 
v. or Sulphur. 

China. — Nightly diarrhoea; absent during the day 
or occurring after meals. Eesembles Arsenicum in its 
thirst. Abdomen full of wind. Emission of large quan- 
tities of flatulence ; yellow water. Stools undigested, 
putrid. Colic before stool. 

Colchicum. — Painless cholera morbus, small stools. 
The smell of fish, eggs, fat meats, or broth causes 
nausea. Autumn diarrhoea or dysentery ; exhaustion 
after stool- ; child falls asleep on the vessel, as soon as 
the straining ceases ; great thirst. 

Colocynth. — Saffron, yellow, frothy liquid stools; 
first watery and mucus, then bilious, and lastly bloody ; 
odor like brown paper burning ; great pain in the 
bowels ; must bend double ; great urging ; nausea 
when the griping comes on. Mercurius is needed 
afterwards. 

Croton tig. — The three symptoms most character- 
istic of this remedy are, the yellow watery stool, sudden 
expulsions, and the necessity to go to stool after drinking 
or eating. Infants while nursing pass stool. Besides 
the yellow stool, brownish green sometimes. Stool 
undigested, excessive nausea and vomiting. 

Dioscorea. — In cholera morbus this remedy has 
often been very efficacious. It resembles Colocynth in 



194 DISEASES OF THE ABDOMEN. 

the griping pains, which are excruciating, but the pain 
differs from those of Colocynth in this, that the pains 
shift suddenly and appear in distant localities, as the 
fingers and toes. 

Dulcamara. — Is indicated in cases directly traceable 
to taking cold or to a change in the weather from warm 
to cold. In such cases the remedy becomes all suffi- 
cient, whether the attack is diarrhoea or dysentery. 
Pains must be present, as a rule. 

Ferrum met. — For chronic diarrhoea in adults or 
children. Stools painless, undigested, sudden, gush- 
ing, odorless ; worse while eating or drinking, at night, 
during pregnancy. For patients whose face flushes 
easily on the least excitement or exertion. 

Gambogia. — Stools thin, yellow, fecal, coming out all 
at once with a single somewhat prolonged effort. Eyes 
itch ; child rubs them often. This is one of the most 
important remedies in the treatment of acute or chronic 
diarrhoea. 

Gelsemium. — Diarrhoea after fright, fear, grief, bad 
news, or excitement. The anticipation of any unsual 
ordeal, as appearing in public, or submitting to a surgi- 
cal operation, is sufficient to excite diarrhoea. This rem- 
edy removes the mental agitation, and diarrhoea as well. 

Hepar sulph. — Chronic diarrhoea from abuse of 
mercury or quinine, cinchona bark, and after suppression 
of the itch. Craving for condiments. Empty, sinking 
feeling of the stomach ; strong and comfortable feeling 
after a meal. Frequent desire to loosen the clothing 
about the waist, particularly a few hours after a meal. 
Stools are light yellow, fecal, green, watery, undigested, 
smelling like old cheese. 



DISEASES OF THE ABDOMEN. 195 

Iodine. — Chronic diarrhoea. ' ' The more the patient 
eats, the thinner he grows." Digestion being rapid and 
the appetite good, yet in spite of this, the emaciation 
goes on. The stools are watery, foamy, whitish mucus, 
whey-like ; worse in the morning. 

Ipecacuanha. — Diarrhoea, cholera morbus, or cholera 
infantum when the continuous nausea is the guiding 
symptom to its use. The stools are green as grass. 
Ipecacuanha should be followed by some other remedy, 
probably Arsenicum. 

Iris v. — For watery, yellow diarrhoea ; burning 
from the mouth to the anus ; violent vomiting of an 
extremely sour fluid, which scalds the throat. The 
burning at the anus as though on fire, and the vomiting, 
lead to the selection of this remedy. 

Lycopodium. — For chronic diarrhoea and cholera 
infantum. The symptoms which lead to the selection 
of this remedy in chronic diarrhoea are those of the 
stomach. A little food seems to fill the stomach full, 
and causes fulness and distress of the abdomen. 
Faintishness during the day. Bumbling and rolling 
of wind in the abdomen, especially in the left side. 
Child screams before urinating. Child springs up 
from sleep, terrified and screaming ; is angry and cross, 
striking, kicking, and scratching every one who ap- 
proaches. 

Magnesia carb. — In diarrhoea when the stools are 
green, watery, frothy, with green scum like that on a 
frog pond. White lumps, like masses of tallow, float- 
ing in the green, watery stool. 

Merc. cor. — Dysentery, with intense burning in the 
urethra . 



196 DISEASES OF THE ABDOMEN. 

Merc. viv. — Diarrhoea, dark, greenish stools, bilious, 
like stirred eggs. "Never get done feeling." Sweats 
on the least exertion. 

Nux vom. — Thin, brownish mucus ; thin, bloody 
mucus ; back ache as if broken ; constant urging. 
Nux is often of first importance in dysentery ; and 
because more often used in constipation, it must not be 
forgotten in diarrhoea. 

Podophyllum. — Profuse gushing stools, each seeming 
to drain the patient dry, but soon he is full again. In 
painless cholera morbus, Podophyllum is very frequently 
indicated. There may be violent cramps of the feet, 
and yet the remedy is indicated if the stools are as 
mentioned. 

Pulsatilla. — Diarrhoea without thirst ; loss of taste ; 
chilliness. Nightly diarrhoea is very characteristic of 
Pulsatilla. 

Rheum. — Diarrhoea during dentition ; sour- smelling 
stool ; in fact, the whole child smells sour. 

Sulphur. — Early morning diarrhoea ; sleepy as soon 
as the stool is passed ; averse to washing. Stomach 
feels empty and weak every day at eleven a. m. 

Veratrum alb. — Profuse watery, bilious stools; 
worse at night ; cold sweat on the head ; vomiting ; 
after stool, weak and faint, has to lie down ; cramps 
of the extremities. 



CHAPTER XXV. 

DISEASES OF THE RECTUM. 
Prolapsus of the Rectum. 

Prolapsus of the rectum is a protruding or turning 
out of the intestine at its lowest part ; if it occurs it is 
when the bowels move, or when much straining is 
necessary, or it takes place in sitting or walking. To 
replace the protrusion, put the patient on his knees, 
and apply cold cloths to the parts protruding. If the 
cold application gives pain, or the bunch does not dis- 
appear, try hot water ; failing in these, anoint with 
sweet oil, then slowly and gently press with the fingers 
backwards and upwards. 

Podophyllum will generally relieve either children 
or adults, if administered internally. Sepia for adults 
when prolapsus occurs when walking. Obstinate cases 
sometimes require surgical interference. 

Hemorrhoids, or Piles. 

This disease consists principally of little bunches 
situated outside the anus (external piles), or within the 
rectum (internal piles), caused by over- distention of the 
veins situated in this part of the body, and the forma- 
tion of little clots of blood, which causes inflammation 
and swelling. If the hemorrhage or distention is at all 
extensive, the disease is very painful. Piles may occur 
with diarrhoea or constipation, and they may be eithe^ 



198 DISEASES OF THE RECTUM. 

constant or intermittent. The symptoms of this affec- 
tion are as follows : Preceding the appearance of any 
local trouble in the rectum, there is often noticed some 
disturbance of digestion ; the bowels are most generally 
costive, though there may be diarrhoea, dull pain in the 
head and back ; gradually there is noticed a soreness 
on defecation, or perhaps some slight hemorrhage. 
Upon examination one or more little, small bunches are 
felt about the anus ; there is itching, burning, and 
great sensitiveness to pressure. These symptoms may 
continue for months, or they may soon pass off. The 
treatment of this affection should be most careful, 
and by homoeopathic remedies. The common method 
among the old-school doctors is to cut them out, inject 
them, or suppress them with ointment. Not unfre- 
quently, after a sudden suppression of piles, a disease 
of more dangerous character appears in their stead. 
Piles are only one of the symptoms of some general 
disorder, and therefore should be treated as such, and 
not simply suppressed. Medicines will stop this affec- 
tion, and at the same time remove the cause ; but the 
patient should regulate his habits, if faulty. If he sits 
a great deal, try and take more exercise. Avoid stimu- 
lants, alcohol, beer, and coffee ; drink plenty of water, 
and eat little meat. Active exercise should not be 
taken during the threatening symptoms of an attack 
of piles, or during their early manifestation. Smoking 
often causes a sympathetic irritation of the anus, 
and this habit should be restrained. Wash the anus 
night and morning with warm water, and apply after 
this a little sweet oil to the parts. Other diseases of 
the rectum besides piles give rise to bleeding and 



DISEASES OF THE RECTUM. 199 

soreness. Fissure of the rectum is very often mistaken 
for piles by patients because of the discharge of blood. 
As a rule, when there is great pain on defecation (not 
after), it is not piles, but a fissure that is the cause. 
A fissure is a small tear in the lining of the rectum 
which sometimes becomes very large and angry, 
amounting to an ulcer. The pain while defecating is 
excruciating, ceasing entirely a short time afterwards, 
and not returning at all until another stool ; but it often 
continues very severe and of a burning character. The 
causes of this affection are straining, or the passage of 
a very hard, dry stool, causing a tearing of the lining 
of the rectum. Uterine displacements are often the 
cause, and is frequently the result of confinement. 
The treatment consists in regulating the diet, so that 
the stools will be soft and easily defecated, and the 
internal administration of some homoeopathic remedy 
selected from those mentioned under the heading of 
"Piles." 

Aconitum. — For piles when blood is discharged, 
and there are shooting pains and pressure in the anus. 
The small of the back feels as if broken or bruised. 
Indicated more especially when the piles are inflamed 
and there seems to be fever. 

JEsculus hep. — External piles, bleeding slightly, at- 
tended with constipation, and a sensation as of sticks in 
the rectum. Aching pain and lame feeling in the back. 

Aloes. — External piles, protruding like a bunch of 
grapes ; hot and sore, relieved by cold water. When 
urinating, he has a feeling as though some liquid dis- 
charge from the bowels would take place at the same 
time ; much flatus with stool ; fissure or painful ulcer 



200 DISEASES OF THE RECTUM. 

Arsenicum. — Piles, with sensation as if hot needles 
were sticking into them ; great burning ; back feels as 
if broken ; impossibility of stooping ; feverish ; fissures 
of the rectum, relief from heat ; restlessness. 

Cede. carb. — Profuse, bleeding piles ; protruding, 
painful when walking, better when sitting ; too early 
and too profuse menses; cold feet, as if one had on damp 
stockings ; after suppressed flow from piles, constant 
giddiness ; heaviness and fulness of the head. 

Causticum. — Piles large, painful, stinging ; burning 
when touched, hindering stool. 

Chamomilla. — Bleeding piles ; hemorrhoidal colic ; 
angry, peevish, and ill-humored. 

Collinsonia. — Bleeding piles, incessant, though not 
profusely, or protruding piles without bleeding ; sen- 
sation in the rectum as if sticks, sand, or gravel had 
lodged there ; growing worse as evening approaches till 
late at night ; better in the morning ; constipation or 
diarrhoea ; pain in the stomach, with loss of appetite. 

Hydrastis. — Piles ; constipation ; fissure of the 
anus. 

Hamamelis. — Profusely bleeding piles, characterized 
by soreness, burning, weight, and fulness ; at times 
rawness of the anus. 

. Ignatia. — Piles after confinement; violent stitches 
which penetrate deeply, with itching and crawling in. 
the anus, when much blood is discharged, or the rectum 
protrudes considerably after each stool. 

Lachesis. — Piles ; very painful ; a stitching pain is 
felt to go through them, especially when coughing or 
sneezing ; beating like little hammers in the rectum ; 
indicated especially when piles occur at the critical age. 



DISEASES OF THE RECTUM. 201 

Muriatic acid. — Large, protruding piles, exquisitely 
sensitive to touch or pressure ; even the sheet is in- 
supportable. 

Nitric acid. — Very painful fissures, especially after 
stool. 

Nux vom. — All sorts of piles following the use of 
purgatives, and following the use of external and inter- 
nal allopathic treatment ; m persons of sedentary habits, 
or overindulgence in stimulants ; ineffectual urging ; 
constipation, headache. 

Podophyllum. — Piles and falling of the rectum, with 
diarrhoea or constipation, with flatulence and headache. 

Sulphur. — Suppressed flow from piles causing head- 
ache, dizziness, palpitation of the heart, pain in the pit 
of the stomach, with difficulty of breathing ; loss of 
appetite ; faintness at eleven a. m. ; sleepy by day, 
sleepless at night. 

Pruritus Ani and Eczema. 

Pruritus ani, or, as it may be w^ell called, painful 
itching of the anus, is a most distressing malady. It may 
be caused by various general or constitutional disorders 
and derangement, hereditary predisposition, or in debili- 
tated conditions of health. The disorder is frequently 
induced or kept up by habits of too free eating and drink- 
ing. It is however met with in very abstemious persons. 
Particular articles of diet or drink affect some persons in 
a remarkable manner. Lobster, crabs, salmon, bring on 
the affection, likewise drinking of stimulants, as cham- 
pagne, ale, and coffee ; smoking also may be a cause. 
In women it may result from uterine disorders, or an 
accompaniment of pregnancy. Doubtless there are 



202 DISEASES OF THE RECTUM. 

many cases of pruritus for which we are unable to 
assign any ordinary cause, and it then may be con- 
sidered a purely nervous disorder, being aggravated or 
occasioned by mental worry or overwork. The disease 
in the majority of cases is worse at night, especially 
when the patient gets warm in bed. The more the 
patient yields to the inclination to scratch or rub the 
parts, the worse he makes himself. 

Eczema is an inflammation of the skin causing an 
eruption around the anus, and is recognized by an 
increased redness extending outside the back passage, 
which may secrete a thin fluid. It is like pruritus in 
its intense itching, but the latter disorder shows almost 
no change in the skin around the anus. Eczema may 
be caused by piles, or the result of violent scratching 
induced at first by pruritus. 

The treatment should be by internal medication in 
both disorders. Dr. Allingham, of London, in his work 
on rectal diseases, speaks of the following device for the 
relief of pruritus : ' ' When the irritation of pruritus is 
so great that the patient is quite worn out for want of 
rest, I have for years recommended the introduction of 
a bone plug, shaped like the nipple of an infant's feed- 
ing bottle, with a circular shield to prevent it from 
slipping into the bowel ; the nipple should be about an 
inch and a half in length, and as thick as the end of the 
forefinger. This is most effectual in preventing the 
nightly itching ; a good night's rest is almost sure to 
result from its use, but I advise it to be worn only every 
other night." If these disorders, pruritus or eczema, 
are due to any of the known causes mentioned, a cure 
cannot be expected unless it is removed. 



DISEASES OF THE RECTUM. 203 

Remedies. — Arsenicum, Calc. carb., Lycop., Petro- 
leum, Merc, v., Eumex (if the itching is better from 
warmth and worse by cold), Sepia, Sulphur. 

Abscess in or near the Anus. 

An abscess is, in the majority of cases, the beginning 
of a fistula, or false passage, so called ; it usually forms 
just outside the anus, but it may form in the rectum 
and open into the bowels. An abscess in this locality is 
like a gathering or boil in any other part of the body. 
They may come quickly or be months in forming. 
Persons having an abscess in this locality usually do not 
consult a surgeon, as they should, but considering it 
unimportant and only needing to be poulticed to hasten 
it to break, and then think that is the end of the 
trouble. No greater mistake could be made, for, as 
stated above, it is usually the beginning of a fistula. 
Ninety-nine cases out of a hundred will result in this. 
Perhaps the abscess will discharge quickly, giving little 
discomfort, and then fill again and break ; an abscess 
near the rectum seldom closes entirely. So the case 
goes on until, tired of this, the patient seeks the advice 
of a surgeon or physician, only to be told he has a 
fistula. 

Fistula in Ano. 

A fistula is a permanent, abnormal opening into the 
soft parts, with a constant discharge ; it is a deep, nar- 
row, chronic abscess. Wherever such an opening exists, 
and they may form in any part of the body, it is known 
as a fistula. Fistula in ano refers to false openings into 
or about the back passage. There may be one or more 
openings. When one opening exists, it is known as a 



204 DISEASES OF THE RECTUM. 

blind external or internal fistula, or incomplete fistula; 
when there are two openings, complete fistula. The 
blind external fistula is one that has only an opening 
on the outside. A blind internal fistula has one or 
more openings situated anywhere in the rectum ; it is 
the most painful, though fortunately the rarer form. A 
complete fistula is one that opens into the rectum and 
has another opening on the skin. Fistula is the most 
common rectal disease. Men are more subject to this 
affection than women. The causes of fistula, or 
abscess ending in fistula, may be specified as resulting 
from injury to the anus, sitting on damp seats after 
exercise, when the parts are hot and perspiring ; con- 
stipation ; foreign bodies, such as fish bones or rabbit 
bones, which have been swallowed and have reached 
the anus in an undigested state. Abscess and fistula 
may occur after fevers or debilitated conditions of 
the system, or they may proceed from a tubercular 
or scrofulous tendency, inherited or acquired. As it 
has been stated, fistula most frequently commences by 
the formation of an abscess immediately beneath the 
skin, just outside the anus. 

Treatment. — Whenever an abscess forms, as stated 
above, do not neglect it at all, or pass it over as a mere 
trifle. Immediately consult a good homoeopathic phy- 
sician. Internal medication will result in a cure in 
these troubles, as well as in many other so-called sur- 
gical cases, and without the use of the knife. All 
cases of fistula are not operated upon even by the 
allopathic physician, knowing, as he does, that they 
are the expression of some deep constitutional disease, 
and to try to close this escape would hasten the 



DISEASES OF THE RECTUM. 205 

progress of the disease. Almost all surgeons and phy- 
sicians have witnessed the ill effects of surgical inter- 
ference. Therefore, while advising the absolute impor- 
tance of attending to the earliest symptoms of trouble 
in or about the anus, it cannot be too forcibly urged 
that these affections should receive proper homoeopathic 
treatment. 



CHAPTEE XXVI. 

DISEASES OF THE LIVER. 
Infi animation of the Liver. 

Inflammation of the liver is characterized by more 
or less painful fulness of the region of the liver, the 
pain extending towards the right shoulder blade, and 
more especially pain under the right shoulder blade ; 
by headache, nausea, and vomiting in some cases ; by 
constipation or diarrhoea. One of the following reme- * 
dies will be found beneficial : — 

Belladonna. — High fever; throbbing headache; 
moist skin ; region of the liver painful and sore to 
touch ; worse lying on the right side ; pains go to the 
shoulder and neck. 

Bryonia. — Stitches in the right side, with painful 
sensitiveness of this region to hard pressure or deep 
breathing ; great thirst for large quantities of water ; 
constipation ; bilious vomiting ; dizziness and nausea 
when rising from a recumbent position. 

Laches is. — Liver complaints at the change of life ; 
after ague ; cannot bear any pressure about the waist. 
Acute pain in the liver extending towards the 
stomach. 

China. — Pain in the region of the liver ; cannot 
bear the slightest touch ; food tastes bitter or too salt ; 
thick, dirty coating on the tongue. 



DISEASES OF THE LIVER. 207 

Jaundice. 

Jaundice is not a disease, but only a symptom, and 
consists of a yellow discoloration of the skin. The so- 
called liver spots have no relation to the diseases of the 
liver. Jaundice is one of the symptoms of liver 
disorder, or some general disturbance of the system, 
which causes the bile to escape into the blood. As a 
rule, this affection is not serious, although when ac- 
companying peritonitis or pneumonia, or the hue of the 
skin becomes very dark, as in black or green jaundice, 
it is an unfavorable sign. Jaundice may make its 
appearance during pregnancy. Infants very often 
become very yellow a few days after birth ; it should 
not be mistaken for the slight yellowish discoloration of 
the skin which in most children is seen a few days 
after birth, and is of no importance as a symptom. 
In this latter condition the whites of the eyes are 
entirely clear. 

• Merc. v. — Is usually sufficient if the patient has not 
already abused this drug ; in that event, China will be 
preferable, which may be followed in obstinate cases by 
Hepar s., Sulphur, or Lachesis. 

Chamomilla. — Jaundice following a fit of passion. 
Nux v. afterwards or abuse of Ehubarb. 

Belladonna. — Jaundice after abuse of Cinchona 
bark or Mercury. 



CHAPTER XXVII. 
DISEASES OF THE URINARY ORGANS. 

The urine is not only an index of the condition of 
the kidneys, but it also is a valuable indication of the 
condition of many other organs, and to some extent it 
throws light on the workings of the nervous system. 
Physicians depend upon the chemical and microscopical 
examination of the urine, together with a knowledge 
of the quantity passed each day. The quantity is 
diminished in acute diseases, in fevers, in cholera, and 
in the early stages of dropsies. In some forms of 
Bright' s disease the quantity is lessened ' throughout, 
and for the most part in the last stage of all forms. 
On the other hand, the urine is increased in hysteria, 
and other forms of kidney diseases, except Bright's. 
In bladder troubles, urination is very frequent, and is a 
marked symptom, although the quantity is not always 
increased. The color is often a guide to the condition 
of the system. Food and medicine as well as disease 
affect it. A red aspect is apt to be associated with an 
admixture of blood ; very pale urine denotes an increase 
of the watery constituents. In fevers the urine is 
very dark ; a dark yellowish hue of the discharge is 
indicative of bile, but a similar tinge may be present 
when rhubarb has been taken. Strong coffee darkens 
the urine. In digestive disturbances the urine on 
standing shows the presence of sediments, either whit- 
ish or like brick dust. It is always advisable to have 



DISEASES OF THE URINARY ORGANS. 209 

the urine examined occasionally, for by so doing the 
earliest stages of a disease may be recognized, that may 
not assert itself until it becomes incurable 

Involuntary Emission of Urine, "Wetting the Bed. 

Children and adults are sometimes affected by this 
disorder. It more often occurs in the very young and 
the aged. 

Involuntary urination when coughing requires 
Caust. or Puis. 

Involuntary urination while passing wind, Puis. 

Involuntary urination during the day, Ferrum. 

Involuntary urination at night, Caust., Sep. 

Children who wet the bed at night, if it is not from 
carelessness, can be benefited by treatment. Do not put 
children to bed immediately after eating. 

Painful Urination. 

Painful urination may arise from inflammation of 
the urinary passages, the bladder, or unclean diseases. 
Many persons are careless regarding urination. It is 
very harmful to neglect this function by not urinating 
when the desire is present. Many people have suffered 
intensely, and sowed the seeds of long-lasting and 
incuable disease from this neglect. It is important to 
drink freely of water, particularly when the urine 
becomes scanty ; there is no better diuretic. 

Aconite. — For the most common cases, when there 
is painful urging ; for children if they put their hands 
to the parts and scream ; when no urine or very little 
passes ; for women and children. 

Cantharis. — Pain in the region of the kidneys, and 
urging to urinate ; fruitless efforts to urinate with great 



210 DISEASES OF THE URINARY ORGANS. 

urging ; heaviness in the bladder ; feels sore on slight- 
est motion. 

Cannabis sat. — Soreness and inflammation of the 
kidneys and bladder ; great difficulty in passing even a 
few drops, with smarting, burning, and desire to pass 
more ; burning while passing water, but especially just 
after ; desire to urinate continues after having passed 
water. 

Apis met. — Desire to urinate, only a few drops 
voided or not any ; inflamed bladder ; after abuse of 
Cantharides ; difficult urination with children. 

Merc. v. — Region of the bladder sore to touch ; 
urine passes only in drops, or a thin stream ; sudden, 
irresistible desire ; urine involuntary. 

Lycopodium. — Child screams with pain before pass- 
ing water ; red sand on the diaper ; bearing down over 
the bladder ; frequent desire to urinate ; pains worse 
lying down, especially at night ; urging to urinate ; 
must wait long before it will pass. 

Cepa. — Frequent urging ; the urine passes by starts, 
or only in drops, is bright red and burning ; for chil- 
dren when they scream, particularly when you press on 
the region of the bladder with your hands ; after a cold, 
or exposure of the abdomen to cold air ; getting the feet 
wet. 

The Passing of Bloody Urine. 

Bloody urine follows external injuries, abuse of 
liquors, sexual excesses, inflammation of the kidneys. 
Give Arnica if produced by injuries ; Kux vom., for 
abuse of liquors ; China, from excesses ; Hepar sulph. , 
if the complaint keeps recurring ; Terebinthina, for 
bloody urine caused by hemmorhage from the kidneys. 



CHAPTEK XXVIII. 

DISEASES OF THE SKIN. 

Diseases of the skin, or most of them, should be 
treated by a physician. It is a nearly universal opinion 
of the allopathic physicians that skin diseases require 
external applications, and in some cases of a very pow- 
erful description. Eczema (salt rheum), itch etc., are 
looked upon as being purely external local diseases, 
requiring only external washes to dispel them. Homoeo- 
pathic physicians, with few exceptions, do not so 
believe ; they hold that no disease or symptom should be 
suppressed by local measures alone. Because an eruption 
is something visible and tangible, should it be driven 
away ? This would be all well enough, if a cure were 
made ; but in the vast majority of cases of skin diseases 
that are so treated, they only disappear for a longer or 
shorter time, or the causes which produce the eruption, 
being interfered with, assert themselves in other forms 
of disease, perhaps more dangerous and exceedingly 
difficult to cure. "When the system is affected with 
some chronic disease which threatens to destroy life 
itself, nature often tries to avert this danger by substi- 
tuting and maintaining a local disease, on some exter- 
nal part of the body ; the presence of the local disease 
for a time arrests the internal evil, without, however, 
being able to cure it or lessen it essentially. When an 
old-school physician, acting under the impression that he 



212 DISEASES OF THE SKIX. 

is curing the whole disease, destroys the local symptom 
by external remedies, nature will offset it by awakening 
and extending the inner disease. This is popularly 
defined by saying that the external treatment had 
driven the whole disease back into the system. It 
becomes apparent, upon reflection, that no external 
disease (not caused by external injuries) can be origi- 
nated, hold its place, or, least of all, become worse, 
without some internal cause. An external disease could 
never make its appearance without involving the entire 
state of health, and without the participation of the 
living whole. Our bodies are an indivisible whole in 
feelings and functions, that not even an eruption on the 
lips or a case of felon can be accounted for, without 
assuming a previous or simultaneous diseased state of 
the body. In order to combine both safety and thor- 
oughness in the medical treatment of external diseases 
not dependent upon external injuries, all curative 
measures should be planned with reference to the state 
of the ivhole system, in order to effect the obliteration 
and cure of the general disease. This is unequivocally 
verified by experience." From the statements above 
given, it is apparent that it would be useless to give any 
specific indications of treatment for skin diseases, other 
than the few varieties mentioned. 

Urticaria (Nettle Rash), Hives. 

As the name indicates, this eruption resembles the 
patches or "wmeals" caused by the stings of nettles. 
The wheals are solid bunches or elevations of the skin, 
of a perfectly white or pinkish hue with an abrupt 
margin, and surrounded by a red margin or halo. 



DISEASES OF THE SKIN. 213 

They are either circular or oval in shape, and vary- 
greatly in size. There is always a burning and stinging 
sensation with extreme itching, which causes fierce 
scratching, which increases the trouble, as the skin 
of the whole body may first itch, and after scratch- 
ing these wheals appear. Nausea and vomiting, loss 
of appetite, and furred tongue usually precede the 
eruption. The causes may be either external or inter- 
nal. Among the external causes may be mentioned the 
contact of the skin with nettles ; the bites of mosqui- 
toes, bedbugs, lice, and fleas often induce urticaria. 
The internal causes comprise such articles of food as 
fish, clams, oysters, lobsters, crabs, pork, eggs, honey, 
mushrooms, cucumbers, berries, fruits. Urticaria may 
result from mental emotion. The disease sometimes 
alternates with asthma. 

Aconite. — If the eruption is preceded by much 
fever, with hot, dry skin, thirst, hard, quick pulse, 
extreme restlessness. 

Pulsatilla. — Urticaria produced by eating fruits, 
pastry, or pork ; diarrhoea in the morning ; chilliness ; 
especially suitable for women and children. 

Bryonia. — When the eruption " strikes in" and is 
followed by difficult breathing ; pain in the breast ; net- 
tle rash, when the stinging is made worse by touch. 

Hepar sulphur. — Urticaria with ' ' cold in the 
head" and croupy cough ; eruption begins on the arms 
and chest ; worse in the open air ; also chronic cases. 

Cepa. — Urticaria with catarrhal symptoms ; erup- 
tion begins on the thighs ; is better in the open air ; 
sleepiness. 

Arsenicum. — If caused by eating unripe fruit ; 



214: DISEASES OF THE SKIX. 

worse at night ; also for suppressed eruption ; thirst for 
small sips of water often. 

Cede. carb. — When the eruption always appears 
more after cold or washing, or has been suddenly 
repelled. 

Lycopodium and Bovista. — Will be found service- 
able for chronic forms of this disease. 

Boil, Furuncle. 

A boil is too well known to be explained. Some 
persons seem to have a peculiar predisposition to boils ; 
they also frequently follow acute fevers and other dis- 
eases. Never use a knife or allow one to be used, 
because it never does any good, but always harm, as it 
increases the inflammation and protracts the healing 
process. Keep the surface of the skin over the boil 
lightly covered, in order that the clothing may not 
irritate it, and take one of the following remedies 
internally : — 

Arnica. — For boils that occur from injuries or over- 
heating and bruising of the skin, as in horseback 
riding ; for many small and painful boils, one after an- 
other ; extremely sore. 

Crotalus. — Parts are bluish and discharge scanty ; 
diarrhoea. 

Anthracinum. — Bluish 'boils, mostly on the face, 
arms, hands, and fingers, or uncovered parts in general. 

Lachesis. — Boils having a bluish hue, and sur- 
rounded by small pimples ; better from warmth, Hepar 
follows Lachesis well, if, after breaking, the dis- 
charge is scanty and pus does not seem sufficient to 
relieve the trouble. 



DISEASES OF THE SKIN. 215 

Sulphur and Calc. carb. — If there is a frequent 
return of boils. 

Carbuncle. 

Carbuncle is larger and harder than a boil. It ap- 
pears more like a number of boils in one spot, several 
small white spots, or "heads," being present in a group ; 
the extent of inflammation is greater, and the color of 
the diseased skin looks bluish or purple. Carbuncle is 
more apt to occur in the debilitated. Its favorite situa- 
tion is on the neck or back, near the spine. A carbun- 
cle should never be cut ; an incision is always injurious, 
and often the cause of death. 

Anthracinum. — Carbuncle with horrible, burning 
pains, or discharge of watery, offensive pus ; hard 
spots, like knots, under the skin ; the most important 
remedy for carbuncle. 

Arsenicum. — For the intense, burning pain in car- 
buncle ; thirst ; restlessness. Carbuncle feels better 
from warmth. 

Secale. — Carbuncle worse from external warmth. 

Abscess. 

An abscess differs from a boil in appearance, there 
being no white head or point containing a little pus, as 
we see in boils, but the skin is swollen, red, and shiny. 
The pain is usually severe, and as the abscess "ripens" 
there are marked chills. If proper remedies are given 
from the beginning, it is seldom necessary to open an 
abscess. 

Belladonna. — At first, for the throbbing pains, and 
then Merc. v. if the abscess shows no sign of going 
away ; give Hepar sulph. to hasten the formation of 



216 DISEASES OF THE SKIX. 

pus ; after it has broken give Silicea. Hard and swelled 
glands on the neck and under the chin or ears, Merc, v., 
Dulc., and Calc. carb. are principal remedies. 

Felon, Whitlow, Runround, Panaritium. 

These are terms for an inflammation which attacks 
the fingers or thumbs, which terminates in the forma- 
tion of pus. There are two varieties of felons, a super- 
ficial and a deep-seated one. The superficial form, called 
whitlow or runround, is the most common perhaps, 
and is an inflammation of the skin around and beneath 
the nail, commencing either at the side of the finger or 
at the end. A runround begins with a slight sense of 
soreness felt whenever the finger is touched ; after a 
short time there is noticed a slight redness about the sore 
spot, but not much swelling ; the pain soon is throbbing in 
character, and the patient may feel generally miserable ; 
after two or three days of pain a small accumulation of 
pus will be visible just under the skin, and if pricked a 
slight discharge of matter will follow. Instead of the 
trouble stopping here, the redness spreads and gradually 
more of the finger is involved in this process, until the 
skin of the entire end of finger is seen to be filled with 
matter, and underneath the finger nail also. The dis- 
ease may affect all the fingers or be confined to one. 

The cause of this affection is probably a " run-down" 
state of the health. The deep-seated form is called a 
felon, and the inflammation involves the deeper struc- 
tures of the finger ; . even the bone itself is often 
attacked and may be destroyed, followed in such cases 
sometimes by the loss of one or more joints of the fin- 
ger. Even when the inflammation does not attack the 



DISEASES OF THE SKIN. 217 

bone, and is confined to the muscles and tendons only, 
the finger is left stiff and deformed. The pain of a felon 
is much severer than in the whitlow, and is often ex- 
traordinary in severity, depriving the patient of sleep for 
days and nights together. At first the pain is like that 
caused by a small splinter or little thorn, gradually 
growing worse until it is an intense, throbbing, tensive 
pain, extending often as high as the elbow or shoulder, 
greatly aggravated by a depending position, of course. 
There is great swelling, sometimes enormous, involving 
the finger, hand, and wrist. As the inflammatory 
action is deep, the pus is liable to burrow along the fin- 
ger and hand, and unless timely surgical interference is 
made by deeply incising the tissues down to the bone 
itself, the consequences may be as stated above, loss of 
the finger. The causes of felons are unknown, but 
probably due to constitutional defects. Eest is of great 
importance in both these affections ; keeping the hand 
elevated relieves the severity of the pain somewhat ; 
poultices are sometimes useful. Avoid putting the 
hands in hot and cold water alternately. 

Amm. carb. — "I have seen the nightly pain, which 
had deprived the patient of sleep for several nights, 
relieved in a few hours, and the disease arrested at the 
same time, by one or two doses of Amm. carb., 500th 
dilution." (Raue.) 

Arsenicum. — For intense burning like a fire, with 
restlessness ; worse about midnight. Anthracinum, 
after Arsenicum, if it does not relieve the burning. 

Lachesis. — When the parts look bluish. 

Ledum. — Eunround, in consequence of the prick 
of a thorn, splinter, or needle. 



218 DISEASES OF THE SKIN. 

Natr. sulpli. — Inflammation at the root of the nail ; 
pus forms ; very painful ; relieved out of doors ; the 
patient looks pale and sickly ; head feels weary and dull, 
especially mornings. 

Graphites. — Eunround which discharges, but does 
not heal ; proud flesh follows. Patient inclined to 
humor, especially behind the ears. 

Hepar. — To hasten formation of pus. 

Silicea. — Bone affected ; proud flesh; terrible pain; 
very important after Hepar. 

Dioscorea. — Disposition to felons, with a tendency 
to colic. Whether met with this combination or alone, 
Dioscorea will usually cure a whitlow if taken early when 
the pains are sharp or the pricking sensations, so com- 
mon in the beginning, are" felt in the finger ; it will 
greatly relieve and hasten the termination if taken soon 

enough. 

Ingrowing- Toe Nails. 

Ingrowing toe nails cause great pain, and sometimes 
the skin becomes so inflamed that an ulcer is formed. 
In other cases walking is so painful that they incapaci- 
tate the patient, making an invalid of him in a certain 
sense. Ingrowing toe nails are usually caused by cut- 
ting the corners of the nails, making them round like 
the finger nails ; no greater mistake is made than by 
doing so, for toe nails should as a rule be shorter in the 
middle than at the sides, and instead of cutting them in 
a convex fashion they should be concave. If the cor- 
ners of the toe nails are cut shortest, the tendency is 
for the points to grow in, as this part of the nail grows 
fastest, and then the nail acts as any foreign body in 
the flesh ; it sets up inflammation, and consequently 






DISEASES OF THE SKIN. 219 

pain and soreness must follow, even ulceration. To 
obviate all this, those afflicted should not cut the nails 
until they have grown out sufficiently to allow a little 
lint, absorbent cotton, tin-foil, or tape to be introduced 
underneath the corners of the nails, and between them 
and the flesh; also cut a V-shaped piece from the centre 
of the nail. The linen threads or tape need not be 
introduced at once, but gradually ; bathe the feet two 
or three times weekly in hot water, and whenever the 
nails need cutting, remember that they should be longer 
on the sides. The nail will in consequence grow faster 
in the centre than on the sides now. After a few 
months the irritation of the flesh having been removed, 
all soreness is gone ; then the nail need only be cut 
slightly concave in the middle. The soreness arising 
from the growing in of the nails into the flesh will soon 
disappear after the patient can tolerate a small piece of 
lint under the corners of the nails, thereby lifting the 
sharp points of them out of the flesh. Sweet oil, tinc- 
ture of arnica externally are often of benefit in redu- 
cing the inflammation. Sometimes ingrowing nails 
ulcerate, when the person is debilitated, and then an 
internal remedy should be given covering all the symp- 
toms. The remedies most frequently called for are SiL, 
Sulph., Ant. crud. 

Chilblain, Frostbite. 
Chilblain is a chronic inflammation of the skin, 



occurring chiefly in winter, and most liable to affect 
children and adults whose health is not good and cir- 
culation is poor. Its most common site is upon the 
toes, although other parts may be affected. In the 



DISEASES OF THE SKIN. 

treatment of this common and annoying affection, 
carefnl attention mnst be paid to the general health of 
the patient. The feet must be warmly clad and pro- 
tected from exposure to cold and dampness as much as 
possible. 

Nux vom. — For chilblains that burn and the skin 
looks blue, or when the skin cracks. 

Puis. — When the skin looks blue or livid, and the 
chilblains itch and burn. 

Nitric ac. — Chilblains from slight cold ; itching, 
with cracking of the skin ; painful chilblains. 

Sulph. — Chilblains itch worse from . warmth ; feel 
better when the feet are exposed to the cool air. 

Rhus tox. — Chilblains that tickle. 

Corns. 

Corns are the result of pressure from too tight boots 
or shoes, also from a certain disposition with some per- 
sons to callous spots or corns which may be lessened by 
Antimony crud., Lycopodium, and Sulphur, according 
to temperament, constitution, and other symptoms. 
Eelief may be obtained by bathing the feet in hot 
water, and paring the corns closely, but not to make 
them bleed, and apply arnicated oil. The shape and 
size of the boots and shoes worn should be properly 
attended to. 

Sore Feet. 

The feet are liable to blister from long- continued 
walking, or from slipping of the boot at the heel, if the 
counters are too stiff or narrow. The heel sometimes 
is the seat of painful sores, which gather and break. 
Ordinary blisters should be treated with nothing but 



DISEASES OF THE SKIN. 221 

water externally. If there is continuous pain, soreness, 
and throbbing, an abscess is probably forming, and a 
poultice may be of relief . 

Cepa. — Sore and raw spots on the feet, from friction. 

Lamium alb. — Blister on the heel, from rubbing of 
shoes ; then a smarting ulcer. 

Lachesis. — For abscess on the heel. 

Warts. 

An ordinary wart is a small, dry, and horny tumor, 
varying in size from a pinhead to a pea. They usually 
develop quickly, persist for a longer or shorter time, 
and likewise they suddenly disappear in some cases, 
and are entirely gone before the fact of their going is 
perceived. The hands, and especially the fingers, are 
their favorite location, but they may occur elsewhere. 
The cause of warts is obscure. There is no doubt 
respecting the contagiousness of warts. Children proba- 
bly often contract them from the hands of playmates 
who are affected. 

The ordinary treatment of warts varies from the 
mildest charm to the harshest caustic ; the latter 
method is to be deprecated in the strongest terms. 
One of the following remedies will usually dispel the 
trouble, if taken internally : — 

Warts, bleeding. — Nit. ac, Thuya. 

homy. — Sulphur, Thuya. 

flat. — Dulc, Lach. 

finger tips. — Caust. 

small. — Calc. carb.. Sepia. 

palm, on. — Natr. mur. 

fingers. — Lach., Lycop., Sulp. 



222 DISEASES OF THE SKIX. 



Bedsores. 



This affection often gives a great deal of trouble to 
both surgeons and attendants, as well as to patients, 
whenever they appear. There are recognized two 
varieties of bedsores. The common bedsore is liable 
to occur in all injuries or diseases which are attended 
with inability on the part of patients to move them- 
selves or change their position in bed. The continued 
pressure occasioned by this enforced quiet interferes 
with the circulation of the skin. An additional evil is 
the almost impossible prevention, with even the great- 
est care, of some urine, perhaps but very little, from 
trickling into the bedclothes or down the private parts. 
Likewise the fecal discharge lodges about the parts, 
and becomes mixed with the urine, and forms a com- 
pound that in its results resembles the use of some 
blistering mixture. The second variety arises from 
some disease of the spinal cord or spinal nerves. The 
existence of this variety is proved by the fact that 
a person having either of these affections may 
be afflicted with bedsores after being confined to the 
bed only a very short time, while persons not confined to 
bed through spinal troubles do not develop bedsores 
for some length of time. The treatment of ordinary 
bedsores consists in removing the causes, as far as that 
is possible. Frequent change of position, so as to 
relieve the inflamed parts for a portion of the time, is 
of course beneficial. Kings of cotton cloth stuffed 
with hair, cotton, or wool, of such a size as to bring the 
pressure outside of the sore, should be carefully ad- 
justed. These pads are more efficacious than the rings 



DISEASES OF THE SKIN. 223 

of India rubber and air cushions. When the presence 
of the urine cannot be prevented, benefit will be derived 
from the constant use of sweet oil or simple cerate. 
Bathing the surfaces of the sores with water, made 
acid by the addition of lemon juice, will do much to 
prevent the formation of an ulcer. The preventive 
treatment consists in never aUowing a bedridden 
patient to lie long in one position, and to. bathe the 
dependent parts with cool water and alcohol, and if 
only a slight redness of the skin in spots is present, 
apply a cool compress wet with alcohol and water, 
changing it every two hours. 

Poisoning' by Ivy. 

Poisoning by ivy or Ehus tox., sumac, and the 
dogwood shows itself by a fine, elevated eruption, 
generally appearing on the hands at first, but usually 
in a few hours the forearms, face, and other por- 
tions of the body become similarly affected. Before 
the eruption makes its appearance there is a smarting 
or tingling sensation in the skin ; soon after there 
will be noticed numerous small, thickly crowded pim- 
ples. The skin often becomes swoUen, and itching 
intolerable. The eruption usually lasts about a week, 
and then gradually subsides ; the surface of the skin 
peels off, leaving a slight redness. A fresh outbreak 
may now take place, even without renewed expos- 
ure, and in this way the eruption is sometimes pro- 
longed for many weeks. There is a marked differ- 
ence in the susceptibility of persons to this peculiar 
eruption. While some can handle the plant with 
impunity, there are others who become affected by 



224 DISEASES OF THE SKIN. 

merely passing to the leeward of a field where farmers 
are burning the brush. The poisonous influence is 
oftentimes carried in gloves, and in knives used for 
cutting the branches, thereby affecting susceptible 
individuals. 

Treatment. — Croton tig. has been of great service 
in a number of cases, followed by Ehus tox., two 
hundredth dilution, a dose every other night, for one 
week. No local application is advisable ; simply protect 
the parts from the air. 

Eczema, Milk Crust, Salt Rheum. 

Eczema is the most common disease of the skin 
which the physician is called upon to treat. It occurs 
at all ages, in both sexes, and among all classes. The 
appearance of the skin in eczema resembles the erup- 
tion resulting from ivy poisoning. The eruption may 
not cause more than a scaling of the skin, and it may 
go on to the formation of pustules. The tendency of 
the disease is to a moisture of the surface, which is the 
most common form. The surface of the skin upon 
which the eczema appears gradually increases in thick- 
ness, by the drying of the moisture as it oozes out, and 
forms crusts, except when the eruption appears in deep 
folds of skin or under the arms, where the appearance 
is more like an unhealthy sore. The form known as 
' ' milk crust " of infancy is distinguished by the for- 
mation of small pustules (pus points), and if situated 
on the face, pits the cheek, which in after years might 
be mistaken for the effect of variola. Another variety 
is known as the scaly variety ; it is the first-mentioned 
variety in a chronic form. Eczema is not contagious. 



DISEASES OF THE SKIN. 225 

Allopaths believe all forms of eczema purely local, and 
see no possible harm in trying to drive the eruption 
away by strong local washes ; fortunately for the 
patient, they do not always succeed. 

Milk crust is mostly an affection of young infants. 
The eruption begins by numerous small white pimples, 
appearing in clusters, situated on the scalp and cheeks ; 
gradually the white spots run together and form yel- 
lowish crusts. The itching is usually very intense, as 
it is in all forms of eczema, and the child's hands 
have to be protected by mittens in order that they 
cannot scratch the skin and forcibly remove the scabs, 
which aggravates the disease. Usually the diet is at 
fault in all forms of eczema, and should be carefully 
regulated. 

Treatment of Eczema. — The disease is one so 
difficult to completely cure, and the symptoms upon 
which a prescription is prescribed are of so wide a 
range, it seems next to impossible to mention in a 
work of this kind any adequate indications for the 
remedies. 

Arsenicum, Natr. mur. , Rhus tox. — For eruptions 
that look very red and angry, and the surfaces involved 
are raw in appearance. 

Clematis. — For moist eczema ; worse from wash- 
ing in cold water, from warmth of the bed ; eruption 
mostly on the neck and back part of the head. 

Graphites. — Eczema, especially when appearing 
behind the ears, in the bends of the elbows, and bends 
of the knees. 

Lycop. — When the crusts have a foul smell and 
cause lice. 



226 DISEASES OF THE SKIN. 

Cole. carb. — Eczema or milk crusts during teeth- 
ing ; scrofulous habit, swollen glands of the neck ; pot- 
bellied children with small necks. 

Ring-worm. 

Eingworm is a contagious affection of the skin, re- 
sulting from the growth of a microscopic plant. The 
disease begins either in the form of a group of little 
pimples or one large pimple, which, increasing in size, 
presents a circular outline. This disease resembles an 
eczema, from which it is told by the round appearance 
of the eruption in ringworm. 

•Treatment. — Graphites, Phos., Ars., Tellur., and 
Sepia are usually the remedies prescribed. Alcohol is 
said to destroy the parasite, if applied externally. 

Itching- of the Skin. 

Occasionally there are cases of itching of the skin 
without any visible eruption whatsoever. This affection 
may be constant or intermittent, acute or chronic. 
The causes are various, arising, as the disease does, in 
some cases from some obstruction in the circulation of 
the blood through the liver, or from the presence of 
bile in the blood. Again, it may follow vaccination, 
or from a general disturbance of the nervous system. 
The itching, which is very intense, is usually worse at 
night, especially after becoming warm in bed. 

Dolichos. — Has been very serviceable in curing a 
violent itching all over the body without any visible 
eruption. The skin may be slightly yellow, the eyes 
also yellow. Stools almost white. 



DISEASES OF THE SKIN. 227 

Cantharis. — Itching as from vermin, changing place, 
great burning of the skin. 

Mezereum. — Itching of the skin, especially in old 
people. 

Sulphur. — Voluptuous itching and tingling, with 
burning or soreness after scratching ; worse at night 
when warm in bed. 



CHAPTER XXIX. 

ERUPTIVE DISEASES. 

Eruptive diseases, or eruptive fevers as they are 
called, form a group having numerous features in 
common. They all have a period of incubation, during 
which the poison lies dormant in the system, followed 
by a fever which is more or less severe and an eruption 
which is distinctly different in each disease, and which 
has a series of progressive stages, well defined and dif- 
fering in them all. They are all contagious, and rarely 
attack the same person twice. 

Measles. 

Measles is a highly contagious affection, sometimes 
prevailing as a widespread epidemic. The disease 
usually begins with a slight fever, the eyes look weak, 
slightly reddened and watery, and are sensitive to light ; 
frequent sneezing, with a thin watery discharge from 
the nose, and a dry cough ; nausea, vomiting, and some- 
times nosebleed ; in fact, the beginning of an attack of 
measles resembles a cold in the head. On the fourth 
day after the commencement of these symptoms a rash 
is perceived, appearing first on the face and neck ; 
thence it continues to extend until, in the course of 
two or three days, the whole body is covered. The 
rash and fever continue two or three days, then the 
eruption begins to fade and the fever to lessen ; and by 



ERUPTIVE DISEASES. 229 

the ninth clay both the fever and rash have left. Fre- 
quently the skin comes off in fine scales, and is attended 
with very annoying itching. The patient, now that he 
is convalescent, shows his sickness ; he is pale, and shows 
a loss of flesh. He stiU coughs, and his eyes are slightly 
inflamed. The eruption consists of irregular dusky red 
blotches, slightly elevated, and as they increase in 
number run together, with natural-colored skin showing 
between them. If the skin is touched, it feels rough 
where the eruption is present. The eruption disappears 
from the face first. Measles is usually met with in 
children, but adults may have it, though usually 
attended with more serious symptoms. The greatest 
danger consists in a sudden suppression or "striking in " 
of the eruption, and of pneumonia or bronchitis occur- 
ring ; we may suspect the latter complication if the 
breathing becomes very rapid and the fever increases. 
Measles frequently leave behind diseases, sometimes of 
a serious character and difficult to cure. These sequelae 
are swelling and inflammation of the glands, especially 
those of the neck ; chronic inflammation of the eyes 
and running from the ears, and chronic bronchitis. 
Scarlet fever is the only disease most liable to be mis- 
taken for measles, but in scarlet fever there is usually 
greater fever, the catarrhal symptoms are not liable to 
occur ; the tongue is very red, and delirium is common ; 
the eruption in scarlet fever appears on the second day, 
first on the neck and chest, and is of a bright red and 
shiny appearance. The eruption in measles appears on 
the fourth day, first on the face and neck ; it is rougher, 
and the rash or blotches arrange themselves in cres- 
centic patches, with intervening portions of healthy skin . 



^30 ERUPTIVE DISEASES. 

Treatment. — Keep the patient comfortably warm, 
and guard against exposure to cold air. Do not exclude 
light from the room, but avoid a strong light. The 
diet wants to be simple and light ; give the patient cold 
water to drink if thirsty. The room should be aired 
frequently with care, and a temperature of sixty-eight 
degrees maintained. 

Aconite. — Is the remedy at the beginning, when the 
pulse is f ull and quick ; dry, hot, burning skin ; extreme 
restlessness ; nosebleed ; dry, hacking cough. (See 
" Belladonna.") 

Pulsatilla. — Is almost a specific for measles, and is 
the remedy most frequently given. It suffices for all 
stages. 

Belladonna. — Should be given in the beginning if, 
with the catarrhal symptoms and the fever, the skin 
is moist, constant drowsiness, with inability to sleep ; 
head aches and throbs ; throat sore ; jerkings of the 
limbs ; convulsions. 

Bryonia. — Slowly developed rash or sudden receding 
of rash, with difficulty in breathing; shooting, stitching 
pains when taking a long breath. 

Ipecacuanha. — Is most serviceable in arresting the 
vomiting ; also good when the eruption is tardy in ap- 
pearing. Arsenicum will be required if Ipecacuanha 
does not relieve the vomiting and sickness. 

Carbo. veg. — Persistent hoarseness after measles. 

Drosera. — Paroxysms of cough after measles. 

Pulsatilla. — For loose cough after measles; also 
chronic discharges from the ears thereafter. 

Sulphur. — Chronic cough, chronic diarrhoea, dis- 
charges from the ears after measles. 



ERUPTIVE DISEASES. 231 

Scarlet Fever, Scarlatina. 

Scarlet fever, known also as scarlatina, is one of the 
most dreaded diseases of childhood, and indeed it well 
may be dreaded, especially when the patients are sub- 
jected to old- school treatment ; no doubt many of the 
after effects attributed to this disease are more likely 
to be due to the treatment. Children and adults are 
both liable to be affected by the disease : it is very con- 
tagious, and unless the most thorough disinfection of the 
clothing, bedding, and room follows, the germs may 
prove infectious, even years afterwards. Infants less 
than six months of age are mostly exempt from the 
disease, but children between the ages of one and fifteen 
years are most liable to contract it. One attack usually 
precludes the possibility of another. The disease mani- 
fests itself in the beginning by repeated chills, followed 
by heat, nausea, vomiting, violent headache, and a feel- 
ing of great prostration. The temperature often reaches 
on the evening of the first day the height of 101° to 105°. 
This is quite characteristic of the disease, as no other 
disease shows such a rapid increase of temperature. 
Besides these symptoms, the patient complains of sore 
throat, dryness and burning, with pain on swallowing. 
The rash appears on the second day of the disease. It 
comes out almost simultaneously all over the body, 
although, on close scrutiny, it may be first seen on the 
neck and breast. At first the surface exhibits an almost 
uniform red blush. If the skin is pressed with the 
finger, it leaves a white spot on the skin, which quickly 
reddens from the outside to the centre; in measles the 
color will return from the centre to the periphery. The 



232 ERUPTIVE DISEASES. 

eruption becomes more scarlet in the flexures of the 
joints, and a few rough pimples may appear on different 
portions of the body, which will be in strong contrast to 
the general smoothness of the surface. The skin is 
very hot and itchy, and especially on the hands and feet. 
On the fourth or fifth day of the eruption it begins to 
fade, and at the end of a week or ten days the skin 
begins to come away in fine bran-like flakes, which last 
from eight to fourteen days. There are various degrees 
of the intensity of the eruption, and of all the symptoms 
in fact, in the different cases of scarlet fever. Cases of 
scarlet fever occur without any rash. The sore throat 
of scarlet fever is very characteristic of the disease, and 
may be a dangerous complication. Swelling of the 
joints also is liable to occur during the progress of this 
disease, a form of rheumatism probably. The tongue 
too is characteristic and peculiar. At first it is thickly 
coated, and its borders only are red ; but soon the 
coating disappears, leaving the whole tongue very red. 
From its color and roughness it is known as the ' ' straw- 
berry tongue" of scarlet fever. Like many other 
diseases, there often follow disorders quite as threaten- 
ing to life as the original one. After scarlet fever, 
dropsies, passage of blood from the kidneys, pleurisy, 
diphtheria, running from the ears, etc. , may be observed 
either during or after the fever. Of all these the kidney 
disorder is the most common ; it is most likely to show 
itself between the tenth and twentieth day. Sudden 
suppression of eruption is always to be looked upon 
with anxiety ; every precaution should be taken to guard 
against taking cold. 

Treatment. — Keep the temperature of the room 



ERUPTIVE DISEASES. 233 

about 68°. Provide for a sufficient supply of fresh air 
constantly. Isolate the patient, and if possible select 
a room in the top of the house, away from every one ; 
do not allow any one in the room except the attendants. 
Eemove all heavy draperies, if there are any in the 
room ; give milk freely, also fruits. Frequent sponging 
of the skin without exposure is very gratifying and 
beneficial. When the skin begins to scale, the itch- 
ing, which is then very annoying, may be relieved 
by rubbing the body all over with fat bacon, olive oil, or 
cocoa-butter, once or twice a day. The normal course 
of an ordinary case of scarlet fever is from three to four 
weeks, but the patient should not be allowed to go out 
for some time longer, especially if the attack occurs in 
cool weather. Too much care is not possible in pre- 
venting the spread of the disease-bearing germs. The 
scales are considered very contagious; and as they are 
abundant, every precaution should be taken to prevent 
them being carried in the clothing or lodging in the 
furnishings of the room. As soon as the patient is able 
to leave his apartment, the clothing should be fumigated 
and washed, the bedding likewise ,' if the walls are 
papered, it should be removed, and the ceiling washed and 
whitened. Carpets or rugs that were allowed to remain 
in the room are to be fumigated, and the floor washed 
and the cracks cleaned and filled with plaster of Paris. 
Never pack away any clothing worn by the patient 
without it has been thoroughly aired and fumigated. 
During the course of the disease it is well to fasten a 
sheet over the outside of the door leading to the room, 
and keep it saturated with a solution of Piatt's chlorides 
or some other reliable disinfectant. As a preventive, 



23i ERUPTIVE DISEASES. 

Belladonna is quite universally considered of value ; 
even if it does not prevent an attack always, it has 
seemed at least to mitigate its severity. Give one dose 
every night of the thirtieth potency of Belladonna. 
This disease sould be treated by a physician only, and 
therefore only a slight mention of the remedies most 
often used will be made : — 

Belladonna, Bryonia, Apis mel. , Hepar sulp. , Lache- 
sis, Merc, viv., Merc, bin., Ehus tox., Zincum. 

Scarlet Rash. 

Scarlet rash is a name given to the lighter forms of 
scarlet fever. It is, however, equally contagious, and 
followed by dangerous sequelae. The same precautions 
should be taken as in scarlet fever. 

Chicken Pox. 

Some authorities consider chicken pox as the slight- 
est form of smallpox. This does not seem possible, 
for an attack of chicken pox does not prevent the lia- 
bility to smallpox or varioloid. Chicken pox is usually 
preceded for a day or two by a slight degree of prostra- 
tion and feverishness ; then the eruption appears, 
looking at first like neabites, which in a few hours 
changes to little blisters or vesicles filled with a yellowish 
fluid. These little vesicles appear scattered widely 
over the body, and continue to appear in crops for 
several days, the whole course of the disease lasting 
from two. to three weeks. The patient does not appear 
to have any annoyance from the disease, and is a mild, 
harmless disease, requiring little or no medicine. Per- 
haps if there is some fever in the beginning, a dose or 



ERUPTIVE DISEASES. 235 

two of Aconite might be given ; or if much headache, 
Belladonna. If the eruption is at all abundant, a dose 
of Tart. emet. had better be given". 

Smallpox. 

Smallpox is one of the most dreaded of the erup- 
tive diseases, not only from the danger to life, which in 
late years has been less, owing to a better understand- 
ing of the disease, but from the repulsive nature of 
such cases, and the necessity which the law rightly 
imposes of isolation of the patient. The disease is 
epidemic and contagious in its nature. It is not known 
what the nature of the contagious virus is, except by its 
effects upon the system. After exposure to this influ- 
ence, if contagion has taken place, it requires from ten 
to thirteen days before it is apparent ; during this time 
slight languor, with pain in the head and back, may be 
noticed. The real symptoms of an outbreak of the 
disease are known by a violent chill or chills ; the head- 
ache is severe; there is great fever, temperature 
reaching 10i° at this time, but the backache is one 
of the most constant and never to be forgotten 
symptoms if once experienced. Vomiting, and very 
soon a red rash appears on portions of the body, and 
continues for a day or two, only to give place to the 
real smallpox eruption, which begins on the scalp and 
forehead in the form of red, slightly elevated spots ; 
they soon spread to the face and thence over the body. 
In about two days these spots develop into hard shot- 
like pimples, which become more pointed in the next 
few days, and on the top of each point will be noticed a 
minute blister with a little peculiar dent in the centre of 



236 ERUPTIVE DISEASES. 

each. This dent is very characteristic of the disease. 
The spots increase in size somewhat, and at the end of 
the ninth day they appear like small boils or pustules, 
having a red circle or halo around them. If the erup- 
tion is at all abundant, these spots or pustules run 
together. When the eruption has reached the stage of 
pustular formation, the fever is generally higher, and 
delirium is apt to occur. The pustules remain as they 
are for two or three days, when they break, and the 
fluid dries on the surface, forming crusts. The fever 
now begins to abate, unless the number of pustules is 
great, when there occur chills and fever from the blood 
poisoning occasioned by the presence of pus. The 
course of the disease is from four to six weeks in 
normal cases. In malignant cases, death ensues or the 
convalescence is protracted. It has been observed that 
when there are few pustules the case is lighter in 
severity. When the pustules run together, the case is 
always more severe. The younger the individual the 
greater the danger. Vaccination is lauded and equally 
condemned as a preventative of this disease. Certain 
it is that diseases have been communicated by use of 
humanized virus, and should never be used. The laws 
of -some States require vaccination ; it is even com- 
pulsory. 

Treatment. — Good nursing is most essential, and 
attention to the minute details which give comfort to 
the patient will often turn the scale between life and 
death. Keep the patient' in a cool, well- ventilated 
room, from which bright light should be excluded ; give 
cold water as a beverage freely, and resort to cool baths 
or sponging. The diet should consist of the most 



ERUPTIVE DISEASES. 237 

nutritious liquid foods. The patient should, of course, 
be isolated, and all unnecessary furnishings discarded 
from the room. All articles of clothing should be 
carefully fumigated or sterilized ; everything that can- 
not be cleansed and sterilized should be burned. In a 
work of this kind it would appear unnecessary to 
recommend the use of drugs, which should be prescribed 
only by the skilful physician. 

Varioloid. 

Varioloid runs a similar course to smallpox, and is a 
similar disease, but not so severe ; all its stages are 
milder and shorter. Varioloid is hi fact a modified 
smallpox. The same care in preventing its spread 
should be observed as in the severer forms of the disease. 



CHAPTEE XXX. 

FEVERS. 

Fever is the term applied in ordinary parlance to 
any increase of the temperature of the body which 
lasts for a time ; without an increase in the natural heat 
of the body, there is no fever. Almost all complaints 
at some period or other are attended with a rise in tem- 
perature; we therefore classify fevers into two classes, 
symptomatic and essential fevers. Thus typhoid and 
scarlet fever are essential fevers, while the fever noticed 
after an injury or neglected wound is of the symptom- 
atic variety. Fever is an applied term to a condition 
of the system denoting a wasting or increased tissue 
change, and more or less disturbance of the functions of 
the body. The essential fevers run a definite course, 
and are preceded by lassitude and undefinable sensations 
of discomfort. They have well-marked stages, run 
a typical course, and end within fairly well-defined 
periods. We speak of essential fevers also as continued 
fevers, in contradistinction to the eruptive fevers. The 
following classification may be instructive as showing 
the varieties of fevers according to groups. This table 
is taken from Da Costa's "Medical Diagnosis " : — 

Simple continued fever. 

Catarrhal fever, or influenza. 

Typhoid fever. 

Typhus fever. 

Cerebro-spinal fever. 

Relapsing fever. 



Continued Fevers. 



FEVERS. 



239 



Periodical Fevers. 



Eruptive Fevers. 



Intermittent fever. 
E emit tent fever . 
Congestive fever. 
Yellow fever. 
Scarlet fever. 
Measles. 
-{ Smallpox. 
Dengue. 
Erysipelas. 

Catarrhal Fever. 

The name of catarrhal fever is seldom applied to the 
condition about to be described ; it is oftener character- 
ized as a mere variety of bronchitis, because the symp- 
toms point prominently to an inflammation of the 
bronchial mucous membrane. This is not exactly true, 
for the disease maintains its peculiarities, and has 
appeared as an epidemic from time immemorial. The 
disease usually sets in suddenly and attacks the mucous 
membrane of the nose, eyes, and bronchial tubes. 
There is sneezing, irritation of the throat, cough, 
great lassitude and impairment of strength, more 
than could be attributed to the severity of the case 
or its present duration ; loss of appetite, nausea, and 
vomiting may be present. The disease lasts three 
or four days, and then the symptoms begin to subside. 

Treatment. — The patient should keep in the house 
and in an even temperature ; the diet should consist of 
soups and gruels ; cold water, if drank freely, will be 
beneficial. 

Aconite. — For the initial symptoms of dry, hot skin, 
flushed face, restlessness. 



240 FEVERS. 

Belladonna. — Congestion; great heat of the skin, 
which is moist ; frequent sneezing ; dryness of the 
nose, with dull, frontal headache ; nosebleed ; constant 
urging and desire to swallow, throat feels constricted ; 
thirst, craves lemonade ; vomiting of mucus ; child be- 
gins to cry immediately before the cough comes on ; dry 
cough. 

Chamomilla. — Irritation to sneeze, with crawling, 
dry heat and stopped-up sensation ; feeling as if coryza 
would appear ; nosebleed, relieving the head ; constant 
irritation to cough beneath the upper part of the breast 
bone ; especially worse at night ; child wants to be 
carried. 

Cepa. — Smarting in the eyes, like from smoke ; 
constant sneezing with profuse, burning, watery dis- 
charge when coming into a warm room ; the discharge 
from the nose poisons the upper lip ; hacking cough 
from inhaling cold air ; constant inclination to hack ; 
catarrhal hoarseness ; coldness alternates with heat. 

Dulcamara. — Influenza, dry, hoarse, rough cough, 
or loose cough and copious expectoration of mucus ; 
dull hearing ; catarrhal fever ; cough worse lying down, 
from warmth of the room, or from deep inspiration ; 
better in the open air. 

Hepar sulph. — Scraping sore throat ; dryness of the 
throat ; sensation as if a splinter or fish bone were 
sticking in the throat ; croupy, hoarse cough ; after 
coughing, sneezing, crying ; great chilliness in the open 
air ; sweats a great deal, or first don't sweat at all and 
then sweats profusely. 

Merc. viv. — Cold in the head, fluent discharge, fre- 
quent sneezing, not relieved by sweat ; violent, racking 



FEVERS. 24:1 

cough, as if the head and chest would burst, sometimes 
with vomiting ; always worse at night ; great chilliness, 
even in a warm room. 

Nux vom. — Cold in the head, when the discharge 
from the nose is profuse in the daytime and nose stops 
up at night ; sneezing early in the morning ; better in 
the cold air, worse in a warm room ; scraping in the 
nose and throat ; worse in dry, generally better in wet 
weather. 

Pulsatilla. — Loss of smell; cold in the head; loss 
of taste, nostrils sore ; later the discharge becomes yel- 
low and greenish; worse indoors ; chilliness, face pale, 
head confused, frontal headache ; cough from irritation 
in the pit of the stomach. 

Typhoid Fever. 

Typhoid or enteric fever is essentially a disease of 
youth ; the very young and the very old seldom contract 
it, although exceptional cases have been known. It is 
now regarded as settled that the cause of typhoid fever 
is a specific or organized germ, and that this germ 
always arises from a previous case ; neither the extreme 
of heat or cold affects the power of growth and repro- 
duction of this germ. These germs find entrance into 
the bowels through the nose and mouth, either from 
their floating in the air or from drinking water or milk 
containing them. That typhoid fever is contagious in 
an ordiuary sense may well be doubted, although cases 
do occur that are difficult to explain in any other way. 
The germs, having gained admission to the body, and 
the conditions being favorable, grow and multiply, and 
in so doing manufacture a poison which produces the 



242 FEVERS. 

characteristic symptoms of typhoid fever. The same 
may be said of many other species of germs, and they 
too produce their own train of symptoms. Several 
days previous to an attack of typhoid fever the patient 
complains of debility, tiredness with headache, dizziness, 
and soreness of the limbs ; sometimes nosebleed, or 
chilliness even in warm weather ; his appetite is poor ; 
his sleep is disturbed, and he dreams of his work ; he 
feels miserable, and knows not why ; finally a decided 
chill followed by fever. Diarrhoea usually accompanies, 
though constipation may be an attendant symptom ; the 
abdomen seems bloated or distended, and tender to the 
touch ; an eruption will often be observed on the chest 
or abdomen, consisting of small red spots resembling 
fleabites. These symptoms appear during the first 
week ; the second week finds the patient still feverish, 
the tenderness of the bowels more marked, and an 
especially sore spot in the lower part of the bowels 
opposite the hip. The tongiie is drier and of a brownish 
color, the appetite lost ; delirium, either mild or violent, 
now appears ; he may be only drowsy, and fall asleep 
while answering a question if one is asked, or he be- 
comes violent, attempting to destroy himself or his 
attendants. The course of the disease is variable, from 
three weeks to as many months. Under any circum- 
stances the convalescence is long and tedious. Of all 
the symptoms mentioned, the fever is most characteris- 
tic ; the rise and fall are so regular and follow so uni- 
form a course that they offer a guide to the recognition 
of the malady in most cases ; exceptionally, in light 
attacks, the thermometer shows no definite rise or fall. 
For example, in typical cases of typhoid fever, if the 



FEVERS. 213 

temperature on the first day in the morning we will say 
is 98.5°, in the evening we will find it 100.5° ; on the 
second day, in the morning, it is about 99.5°, in the 
evening, 101.5°; and so on until the evening tempera- 
ture reaches 104:°. From that time on the temperature 
ranges between 103° and 104°. About the middle of 
the second week in mild cases the fever diminishes, and 
the range in the morning will be one or two degrees 
lower. Diarrhoea is a prominent symptom, except in 
mild cases, when constipation occurs. Should the 
stools contain blood, it is a grave symptom. 

Treatment. — The patient should have a large, well- 
ventilated room, if possible, and one away from noise. 
Give the patient very little food the first week, and 
gradually increase the amount as the fever subsides. Cool 
sponging is very grateful, and, if the temperature is very 
high, the cool, wet pack is of great value. All dis- 
charges from the bowels should be thoroughly disin- 
fected, that the disease may not be allowed to spread 
from this source of infection. Care should be taken 
that all windows are kept guarded, for patients have 
been known to jump from an open window during 
their delirium. The sad case of a delirious typhoid 
patient deliberately shooting his nurse forcibly points 
the need of great caution and watchfulness of ail 
delirious typhoid patients. During convalescence the 
greatest care should be taken in regard to the diet of 
the patient, especially just after the temperature 
becomes normal ; the least deviation from the strict 
dietetic rules may cost the patient his iife. The use of 
stimulants should be avoided, unless ordered by a 
physician, although the writer considers them harmful, 



244 FEVERS. 

and sadly remembers the case of a relative who was con- 
fined in a hospital in Italy by typhoid fever, who was 
given beer to drink as soon as the fever left him. 
Diarrhoea followed in a few hours, followed by hem- 
orrhage and death. It is not possible to say the beer 
was the only cause of the relapse, but it is more than 
probable. Typhoid fever, like smallpox, scarlet fever, 
etc. , is a disease of so varied a nature, and requires the 
most skilful attention, that no indications for remedies 
will be given. Homoeopathy has proved itself to be 
wonderfully efficacious in this as in all other diseases, 
even cutting short the attacks, and, by its application 
of remedies, saved many lives even after they were 
despaired of under the old-school methods of treatment. 

Intermittent Fever, Chills and Fever, Malaria. 

No disease in recent years has been more prevalent, 
apparently, than some form of malaria. It has become 
one of the fashionable diseases of the day. Every 
household fortifies itself with quinine pills. They are 
given to young and old, weak and strong. In fact, 
quinine is as much abused to-day as ever calomel or 
blue pill used to be, and quite as hurtful and lasting in 
its effects upon the system. Physicians, too, are to 
blame for popularizing the term "malaria " ; it is so sat- 
isfying to the masses to tell them that they have a 
light attack of malaria, and the term covers a mul- 
titude of sins, from simple headache, dyspepsia, etc., 
to those fatal typhoid conditions. It is, nevertheless, 
true that malaria visits different belts of country, caus- 
ing epidemics in places which have been non-malarial ; 
in fact, few sections are now entirely free from it. 



FEVERS. 245 

The causes of this disease are not wholly understood as 
yet. All observers agree that the soil is the natural 
seat of the poison, and that moisture is absolutely 
necessary. The opening of ground that has long been 
covered with grass exposes to the air the malarial 
poison which has lain dormant for years. Malaria, or 
intermittent fever, consists of three divisions, — chill, 
fever, sweat. The attacks may be once daily, every 
other day, every fourth day, and known as quotidian, 
tertian, or quartan. The attack usually comes on be- 
tween ten o'clock in the morning and one in the after- 
noon. The chilly stage may last from a few minutes 
to full three hours. During this stage the patient 
seems to present a shrunken appearance ; his face ap- 
pears drawn, his nose pinched ; headache, thirst, colic, 
nausea, cough, backache, etc., may occur at this time. 
The stage of heat creeps on gradually, until the whole 
body is in a perfect blaze, and lasts for some time, until 
sweating comes on and greatly relieves the sufferings 
of the patient. All these stages may not occur ; some- 
times only the chill and heat, or the sweat may come 
first. Chronic malaria, or suppressed intermittent fever, 
frequently terminates in dropsy, inflammation of the 
kidneys, or general debility. Under strict homoeo- 
pathic treatment the course of the disease should be 
limited, and few of the secondary troubles occur. 
Before administering a remedy be careful in obtaining 
all the symptoms ; those occurring before and during 
the chill, heat, siveat, and between the attacks ; the 
time of day when the paroxysm occurs ; the parts of 
the body in which the chill first makes its appearance ; 
the regularity of its stages ; the degree or absence of 



2±G FEVERS. 

thirst. Of importance is the proper way to administer 
the medicine. It has been observed that the following 
method is most efficacious : The medicine should be 
given a short time after the cessation of a paroxysm. 
and not repeated until after another paroxysm has pre- 
sented, if the remedy was not sufficient to dispel the 
attack or change its character. If. after the adminis- 
tration of the medicine, the next paroxysm be earlier 
and more severe or later and milder than the preceding 
one. the action of the remedy should not be interfered 
with. 

Capsicum. — Thirst some time before the chill, and 
great thirst with the chill : paroxysm 5 to 6 P. M. . 
10.30 a. iff. : -every chill is attended with thirst, and 
every drink with shuddering": during the chill, cold- 
ness of chest, with a sensation of water dropping down 
the back : heat without thirst, sweat without thirst ; 
for fevers from abuse of quinine : during the chill must 
have something hot to the back. 

Carbo. veg. — Best adapted to persons, young or old, 
who have suffered from exhausting diseases ; ailments 
from quinine, especially for intermittents that have 
been suppressed : awakens often from cold limbs : no 
regular form of paroxysm : headache, backache, tooth- 
ache, before a chill : thirst with chills ; begins in left 
hand and arm : sometimes sweat first, foUowed by 
chill : heat without thirst, with headache, flushed face. 
vertigo, and nausea : during the fever wishes . to be 
fanned constantly. 

Canst icurn. — "One of the few remedies where 
sweat follows chill without intervening heat ; left -sided 
chill, most pronounced of any remedy " ; averse to 



FEVERS. 247 

sweet things, which disagree ; chill without thirst, 
lessened in bed and by drinking ; shivering, beginning 
in the face, thence extending over the body ; patient is 
either chilly or in a sweat always ; cold feet, chill 
passes downward ; heat without thirst. 

China. — Adapted to stout, "swathy" persons; 
"broken-down " systems ; chill preceded by palpitation, 
anxiety, and hunger ; chill over the whole body, 
increased by drinking ; thirst before or after, but not 
during the chill ; stinging or fierce, needle-like stitches 
in skin, with heat of one part and coldness of another. 

Eupatorium perf. — Tertian fever, 7 A. M. to 9 
A. M. ; before the paroxysm insatiable thirst, but drink- 
ing causes nausea and vomiting and hastens the chill ; 
bones pain as if broken, especially those of the extremi- 
ties ; painful soreness of the eyeballs ; intense thirst with 
chill ; drinking during the hot stage will make him shiver. 

Igaatia. — Violent yawning and stretching before 
the paroxysm ; chill begins in the back, extends to the 
arms, with thirst, followed by heat (without thirst) over 
the whole body, with cold feet ; accompanied with 
internal shuddering, not disappearing until the sweat 
has broken out ; during the time between the parox- 
ysms great weariness and bending of the knees. 

Ipecacuanha. — If paroxysm has been suppressed by 
quinine, this remedy is all the more indicated. Nausea 
and vomiting predominate ; slight chilliness without 
thirst, afterwards violent heat with thirst ; nausea and 
vomiting ; patient is always worse when in a warm 
place ; external coldness with internal heat, great lassi- 
tude and weariness during chill. 

Natrum muriaticum. — Great emaciation ; hang- 



248 FEVERS. 

nails ; skin around the nails dry and cracked ; dreams 
of robbers in the house, and on waking will not believe 
to the contrary till search is made ; chill generally 
observed to occur from 10 to 11 a. m., though other 
times have been noted ; patient dreads the chill ; knows 
the paroxysm is coming because of headache and thirst ; 
chill with thirst, violent chill till noon, then heat till 
evening ; sensation as if the head would fly into frag- 
ments, is stupefied, knows not where he is ; chill begins 
in the feet, fingers, and toes, or small of the back, with 
blue lips and nails ; the thirst continues through all the 
stages ; the headache is violent, with the heat relieved 
by perspiration ; the heart's pulsations shake the body. 

Nux vom. — Always to be thought of when under- 
taking cases that have been drugged by mixtures, 
bitters, vegetable pills ; patient very sleepy in the 
evening while sitting hours before bedtime, and wakes 
at 3 or 4 A. M. ; feels tired and weak in the morning ; 
constipation, frequent unsuccessful desire, passing small 
quantities of feces, sensation as if not finished ; parox- 
ysm at night or early morning, 6 to 7 a. m., 12 m. ; 
before paroxysm a drawing sensation through the 
thighs and legs that obliges him to draw them up and 
stretch them out ; chill without thirst, with bluish cold 
face and hands ; long-lasting heat with thirst ; cannot 
move or uncover in the least without feeling chilly. 

Pulsatilla. — Wide awake in the evening, does not 
want to go to bed ; first sleeplessness, sound sleep when 
it is time to get up ; paroxysm usually at 4 p. M., 
preceded by diarrhoea . without thirst ; chilliness over 
the abdomen extending around the sacrum and back ; 
can't bear a close room, although he is cold in a warm 



FEVERS. 249 

room even ; heat, with red face or one cheek red and 
one pale ; thirst only during heat ; paroxysm of increas- 
ing severity and ever-changing symptoms ; no two 
attacks alike. 

Rhus tox. — Paroxysm preceded by burning in the 
eyes, pains in the limbs and dry, teasing, fatiguing 
cough ; rheumatic symptoms from exposure, especially 
by cold bathing, swimming ; chill is irregular ; severe 
chill, as if ice water were dashed over him ; begins in 
the fingers and toes, feeling as if something cold were 
running through the blood-vessels ; heat with thirst ; 
nausea and vomiting ; all kinds of pains ; tongue 
heavily coated, salt taste ; aversion to bread ; cold sores 
around the mouth, like string of pearls. 

Sulphur. — Adapted to persons in whom diseases are 
continually recurring, patient seems to get almost well, 
when disease returns again and again. Constant heat 
on top of the head ; cold feet with burning of the soles, 
puts them out of bed to cool them off ; paroxysm begins 
with thirst ; chill without thirst ; frequent internal 
chilliness ; there may be no subsequent heat or thirst ; 
great prostration after every paroxysm, with thirst for 
something bitter. 

Veratrum album. — For "pernicious" forms of 
intermittent fever. ' ' The patient thinks he will die, 
and the physician shares his fears." The patient in the 
cold stage resembles the condition of collapse ; shaking 
chill, "with sweat, at first warm, but soon passes off 
into general coldness ; icy coldness, with profuse cold 
sweat ; pulse almost imperceptible. Veratum album 
should be given when stimulants are often given 
without lasting benefit. 



CHAPTEE XXXI. 
RHEUMATISM AND GOUT. 

Eheumatism is a term that has been used very 
loosely to indicate any affection accompanied by pain 
and tenderness of the joints and muscles. Eheumatism 
may be classified as either acute or chronic, and accord- 
ing to the structures involved. We speak of acute or 
chronic articular rheumatism when the joints are 
affected ; acute or chronic muscular rheumatism when 
the seat of inflammation is in the muscles. The principal 
causes are exposure to wet or dampness, and sudden 
suppression of perspiration after great exertion. Eheu- 
matism is most certainly hereditary. The symptoms 
are pain, soreness, inability to move without causing 
suffering ; swelling, and fever. The pains are very 
liable to shift locality, and joint after joint will become 
involved ; and when it is thought the pain has gone 
from one place for good, it will as suddenly reappear 
in its last location and return to its first seat of 
attack. The tongue is usually coated and the ap- 
petite diminished. Perspiration is usually common 
and of an offensive, sour odor. As a compli- 
cation of rheumatism, we are liable to meet with 
inflammation of the heart sac (pericarditis), result- 
ing in trouble with the valves of the heart. Acute 
rheumatism may continue for a few days or weeks, 
and then the pain gradually subsides and the swelling 



RHEUMATISM AND GOUT. 251 

too, but the stiffness and tenderness of the parts continue 
some time longer ; or the attack may run weeks, and 
even pass into a chronic form which continues for 
months or years. In chronic rheumatism the joints 
usually are the seat of pain, not of an acute nature, but 
sensitive and painful to motion and contact, and are 
periodically worse either before or during a storm. 
Swelling may be present, and generally the joints 
become permanently enlarged, caused by a chalky deposit 
in them. Chronic rheumatism may show itself in 
another way, which consists of frequently repeated 
attacks of acute articular rheumatism ; such patients 
feel every approach of wet weather. Muscular rheu- 
matism, as it has been stated, is a term applied to 
rheumatic inflammation of the muscles, sheaths of 
muscles, and tendons. There is little or no swell- 
ing in this form, and is characterized more by the 
pain, which may be shooting, stitching, burning, or 
only a lameness and soreness as if bruised. Accord- 
ing to the location of the attack, it has received 
different names, as, for example, stiff neck, or, when 
the muscles of the neck are involved, movement of 
the head is painful and frequently draws the neck to 
one side. This condition may become chronic and 
known as "wryneck." Pleurodynia, or intercostal 
rheumatism, has been described. (See index.) 
Lumbago, or kink in the back. The peculiarity of 
the latter form is that its appearance is instantaneous ; 
usually while bending, stooping, or reaching, the patient 
is suddenly seized with a stabbing pain which prevents 
him from assuming an erect position. The attack 
usually lasts from eight to ten days. 



252 RHEUMATISM AND GOUT. 

Gout differs from rheumatism in the form of its 
attacks, by its never attacking children. Men oftener 
than women are subject to the disease, especially those 
who are accustomed to a rich table and the habitual use 
of beer or wine, and who take very little exercise. Its 
principal cause is hereditary predisposition, which is 
generally aroused into activity by the mode of living, 
which causes an excess of uric acid in the blood. Gout 
is said to be a rich man's disease, while rheumatism is 
the poor man's gout. An attack of gout gives no fore- 
warning. The person feels perfectly well and usually 
says "he never felt better in his life," until he was 
awakened all at once in the night by a burning, screw- 
ing pain in one of his big toes, which steadily grows 
worse from hour to hour. The toes soon begin to swell 
and redden ; there is great thirst, high fever, dry skin, 
great mental irritability. This condition of things 
continues until morning, when a sense of relief begins 
to come, and the day is passed in comparative comfort, 
until the next night, when he again experiences another 
paroxysm. In this way it may go on for about a 
week, and finally the pain, redness, and swelling grad- 
ually disappear, and the skin at last peels off the 
affected toe. This is the course of a first attack ; in 
later attacks, however, other joints may become 
involved. The finger joints, the knee joints, each or 
all may be attacked. These joints usually become 
enlarged by a firm deposit which is observed around 
them resembling bone. In the beginning, it is as 
though plaster of Paris had been injected into the joints 
and as gradually hardens. 

Treatment. — As homoeopathic physicians do not 



RHEUMATISM AND GOUT. 253 

prescribe for diseases by their names or forms, but 
for the peculiarities of each individual case, I have 
preferred to annex the necessary indications for some 
of the remedies applicable to all forms of rheumatism 
and gout. It will be observed, if attention be paid to 
the subject, that almost every attack of rheumatism is 
preceded by some digestive disturbance ; it is therefore 
important that chronic rheumatic patients should be 
careful in their dietary, and partake sparingly of acid 
fruits, excepting during the hottest weather, when per- 
spiration is usually profuse. This is in contradistinc- 
tion to the prevailing opinion, that acids are beneficial 
in rheumatism ; but it is a matter of conviction with 
me, that patients suffering from chronic rheumatism 
cannot take acids as a rule, excepting under the condi- 
tions mentioned. Gout, as has been stated, arises from 
excessive eating, especially of rich foods and the habit- 
ual use of wines, and from want of a proper amount 
of exercise. It therefore follows that such persons 
should deny themselves of the pleasures of the table, 
and institute a regular habit of exercise. Turkish and 
Roman baths are sometimes beneficial. 

Arnica. — Rheumatism and gout ; pains are tearing 
and drawing ; change quickly from place to place ; feels 
as if beaten or bruised ; feet feel heavy, as if a weight 
was on each instep ; pains are worse toward evening ; 
fears to have persons come near, lest they strike the foot; 
big toe joint red, feels sprained ; everything on which he 
lies feels too hard ; sensation as if the joints of the 
arms and wrists were sprained ; thumbs feel bruised. 

Apis mel. — Violent rheumatism in the right, later 
in the left shoulder ; shoulder blades feel lame ; muscles 



254 RHEUMATISM AND GOUT. 

stiff; tender on pressure, somewhat swollen. Never 
give Khus tox. immediately after Apis. 

Actcea racem. — General bruised feeling as if sore ; 
cramp in the muscles of the neck on moving the head ; 
stiff neck from cold air, pains from moving the hands 
even. Rheumatism of the muscles, cramping, stitching 
pains ; limbs feel uneasy, causing restlessness. The 
patient goes out feeling tolerably comfortable, but as 
he walks the joints ache and even swell. 

Antimony crud. — Grout commencing in the right 
great toe, going to the left ; drawing, tearing pains. 

Bryonia. — Rheumatism when the joints are pink 
and swollen ; the grand characteristic symptom for 
Bryonia is the aggravation from slightest motion, while 
Rhus tox. is indicated when the pains are worse from 
keeping still and better from motion. The pains are 
either drawing, tearing, or shooting in character when 
Bryonia is called for ; but the aggravation from slight- 
est motion, the great thirst and irritability, are peculiar 
and trustworthy guides in selecting the remedy. 

Berber is. — Lumbago ; bruised pain, with stiffness 
in the small of the back ; rises from a seat with diffi- 
culty; gurgling sensation or as of something alive in 
the joint ; burning while passing water; aching in the 
bladder before, during, and after urination. 

Calc. carb. — Rheumatism caused by working in 
water ; gouty deposits about the fingers ; very great 
sensitiveness to the open air ; takes cold easily. 

Causticum. — Rheumatism from exposure to cold ; 
when the joints are stiff and the tendons shortened. 
Custicum resembles Rhus tox. in that both have rheu- 
matism from exposure to cold, but Rhus tox. has rest- 



RHEUMATISM AND GOUT. 255 

lessness and relief from motion, while Causticum has 
restlessness only occurring at night. Guajac follows 
Causticum well, especially in gout. Causticum and 
Rhus are indicated in rheumatism of the jaw, recog- 
nized by pain when moving the lower jaw as in chew- 
ing. 

Chamomilla. — Rheumatic pains almost drive the 
patient mad ; he must jump out of bed and move about ; 
he is thirsty, hot, and almost beside himself with an- 
guish. 

Colchicum. — Gout and rheumatism ; pain begins in 
one joint and travels to another ; the joint is very 
sensitive to the slightest motion ; the urine is dark red 
and scanty ; patient is very irritable ; little things 
annoy him. Colchicum is given in massive doses by 
the old-school doctors; and if that has been the case, give 
Spigelia as an antidote. The joints are swollen and 
dark red. It is especially useful for weak, debilitated 
persons. Chronic rheumatic or gouty patients requir- 
ing Colchicum feel uncomfortable while lying on the 
left side, compelling them to turn over. 

Dulcamara. — Rheumatism made worse by sudden 
changes in the weather, twitching of the muscles of the 
eyelids or mouth whenever the weather becomes damp. 
Stiff neck. Rheumatism after suppressed, eruptions or 
when chronic forms alternate with attacks of diarrhoea. 

Ferrum met. — Irresistible desire to bend the arm, 
which causes great agony ; especially for rheumatism 
of the left shoulder. Sanguinaria has rheumatism of 
the right shoulder. Ferrum has rheumatism better from 
moving about slowly at night ; lumbago all night, ceas- 
ing on rising. 



256 RHEUMATISM AND GOUT. 

Gnaiaciim. — Tearing pains with contractions of 
tendons, making the limb stiff and immovable ; gouty 
inflammation and abscess of the knee ; worse from 
touch, better when sitting ; gouty deposits in the joints. 
Chronic rheumatism when the joints have become de- 
formed. Pains after abuse of Mercury are relieved 
by Guaiacum. 

Ledum pal. — Eheumatic pains, which start from 
below and extend upwards ; with stinging, drawing 
pains ; worse from warmth of bed and bed covering, 
from motion, and in the evening before twelve at night. 
Gout worse in the feet ; gouty deposits ; ball of the 
great toe painful, swollen, soles very sensitive, tendons 
stiff. 

Merc. viv. — Eheumatic pains, tearing, stinging ; 
worse at night in the warm bed ; with profuse sweat, 
which gives no relief, but makes the patient feel worse ; 
joints swollen, pale or slightly red. 

Nux vom. — Is called for in rheumatism of the back, 
when the patient is unable to turn over in bed without 
first sitting up. 

Pulsatilla. — Gout or rheumatism, pains shift about, 
now here, now there. The pains are better from slow 
motion and from pressure ; worse from warmth and 
relieved by cold ; worse in the evening. Eheumatism 
caused by getting wet, especially the feet, from pro- 
tracted wet weather ; pains appear suddenly, leave 
gradually. 

Rhus tox. — The best indication for this remedy is 
this, the patient has relief of his symptoms by contin- 
ued motion, while he experiences aggravation on begin- 
ning to move ; in other words, he grows limber as he 



RHEUMATISM AND GOUT. 257 

continues to move, although it is painful at first. Lyco- 
podium and Pulsatilla have relief from slow motion. 
Ferrum has relief at night from slow motion. Eheu- 
matism occurring from wet, damp weather or from 
living in such places ; grows stiff from keeping still, 
and pains are worse. Khus patient cannot tolerate 
cold, fresh air. 

Sulphur. — Acute or chronic rheumatism and gout, 
with burning of the soles of the feet; has to put them 
out of bed to relieve the burning ; jerking of the limbs 
on falling to sleep. 

Sciatica. 

The pain begins in the fleshy part of the buttock, ex- 
tending from thence down the back part of the thigh to 
the bend of the knee, and in rare cases to the ankle and 
heel. Usually the disease attacks only one side, though 
in rare cases both sides are affected at the same time. 
The pain generally commences mildly, and gradually 
grows worse. The causes are somewhat obscure. At- 
mospheric influences, such as damp, cold weather, sit- 
ting on damp ground, or sleeping on the ground ; taking 
cold ; suppressed perspiration will cause this affection. 

Eemedies. — Colocyntli. — One of the best remedies 
when there is crampy pain in the affected hip, as 
though the parts were screwed in a vise, lies on the 
affected side with knee drawn up. 

Conium. — Sciatica of the right hip, worse from 
going down stairs, better going up. Sensation of 
weakness, even to trembling, in the right thigh, while 
walking. From slight exposure of the feet he catches 
cold. 



258 RHEUMATISM AND GOUT. 

Arsenicum. — Pain relieved by bending the knee, 
better going up stairs. Constant desire to change the 
position of the feet at night, can't lie still. Warmth 
almost always relieves the pain. 

Lachesis. — Left-sided sciatica ; pain as from a hot 
iron ; pain better from lying down quietly in bed, 
worse from sitting up or rising to one's feet ; always 
worse after sleep. 

Nux vom. — Darting pains from toes to the hip or 
from the hip to the hollow of the knee ; worse at stool, 
or from motion or lifting and at night. 

Sepia. — Sciatica, with cutting pains ; must get out 
of bed for relief ; pains worse from rising, but better 
from slow walking. 

Podophyllum pelt. — Pain and weakness in the left 
hip, worse from going up stairs. 



CHAPTEE XXXII. 

SOME GENERAL DISEASES. 
Trismus, Lockjaw. 

Trismus, or lockjaw, consists of involuntary contrac- 
tions of the muscles, with convulsive movements. This 
disease occurs during the course of external injuries, as 
of the hands, feet, and face, or from injuries of the 
w r omb, etc. ; from poisoning by strychnine or brucine ; 
in new-born children, from disease of the cord resulting 
from improper care, as filth or urine on the cord. It 
never occurs in cases well kept, clean, and in sanitary 
houses. Lockjaw is more prevalent in warm countries 
than in the middle climates. The symptoms are slowly 
developed, and usually the first manifestation in an 
adult is a feeling of stiffness about the head and neck, 
usually attributed to catching cold. The pain and 
contractions increase until periodic spells of rigidity 
show themselves, coming suddenly like a jerk, and may 
be so violent that the patient is thrown backwards 01 
forwards, while in some they resemble electric shocks. 
In this way the disease progresses, alternating with 
rigidity, partial relaxation, and convulsive jerks. There 
is great pain in the muscles during their contractions. 
Thirst is usually distressing, and in some cases actual 
hunger. The brain seems clear throughout the course 
of the disease. Sleep is entirely absent, and if patient 
loses himself for a moment, he is at once aroused 



260 SOME GENERAL DISEASES. 

by violent jerkings. .Death results generally from 
asphyxia, or suffocation, during a spasm. Lockjaw is 
most often thought of after any injury to the feet or 
hands caused by a blunt instrument, or when the 
wound inflicted is deep and has a very small external 
opening, or when any foreign substance, as iron rust, 
is carried into the wound by the instrument. For 
example, a rusty nail may enter the foot, and although 
it is at once removed, unless proper treatment is given, 
small particles of iron may remain, and, together with 
the injury to the nerves, may give rise to tetanus, 
trismus, or lockjaw. Or again, suppose a person was 
thrown from a carriage and the skin on the hands was 
laid over in folds ; sand and small stones were packed 
into the flesh exposed, • and unless every particle of the 
foreign substances were removed, not even allowing a 
small pebble to remain, there might be danger of 
lockjaw. I once was called to a case where the person 
had been injured as I have last described, and a local 
surgeon had partially cleansed the wound and sewed it 
up ; when I saw the case twenty -four hours after, I 
removed all stitches, and long and patiently cleansed the 
wound, removing large numbers of pebbles, and then 
dressed the wound without sewing it. In four days 
symptoms of lockjaw appeared, and I again and again 
examined the wound to see if any particles still 
remained, and, to my surprise, I found a stone as large 
as a bean deeply imbedded in the tissues between the 
knuckles. Needles and pins often produce lockjaw 
when run into the flesh of the hands or feet. The only 
treatment here offered is in the way of a suggestion, 
that whenever an injury to the feet or hands occurs 



SOME GENERAL DISEASES. 261 

producing a small punctured wound, encourage bleeding 
as much as possible, and then wash most thoroughly 
and apply a solution of Hypericum, one part of the tinc- 
ture to five parts water. A competent physician should 
always be called, that proper treatment be applied. 

Bursa, Housemaid's Knee, "Weeping Sinew. 

Bursa, or housemaid's knee, as it is commonly 
called, is a firm, tense, round swelling which projects 
from the front surface of the kneepan. It may reach 
the size of an infant's head, but more commonly is not 
larger than a small orange. Slight stiffness of the 
joint is usually complained of, and a sense of soreness 
after prolonged exercise. These tumors usually result 
from the pressure from working in prolonged kneeling 
position, hence the name "housemaid's knee." Tailors 
and cobblers develop a similar swelling ; in the former 
it is situated on the ankles, and in the latter above 
the kneepan. 

Treatment. — Kest, and avoidance of the causes, 
will often bring about absorption. Arnica, Silicea, and 
Sticta pulm. are serviceable as internal remedies. 

Weeping sinew is another form of bursae, and is 
technically called a ganglion. It is a small, round, 
movable tumor, rarely larger than a filbert, most 
generally observed on the back of the wrist ; it is 
seldom painful, but the patient usually complains of 
a sense of weakness in the joint. It is sometimes 
connected with the joints. These tumors do not usually 
arise from pressure ; they sometimes follow a sprain, 
but usually appear without evident cause ; they are of 
slow growth, but now and then appear quite suddenly. 



262 SOME GENERAL DISEASES. 

Treatment. — When large and painful, removal is 
advisable. 

Cole. carb. — Bursa on the back of the right hand. 
Silicea. — Ganglion on the back of the left wrist. 

Bunion. 

A bunion is an inflammation and enlargement of 
the great toe joint, caused by undue pressure of boots 
or shoes. 

Treatment. — Eemove the cause. Give Arnica or 
Antimony crudum for the acute symptoms, and Calc. 
carb. for chronic cases. 

Chorea, St. Vitus's Dance. 

This affection is characterized by incessant twitch- 
ings and jerkings of groups of muscles. The causes 
are various. The disease occurs during pregnancy, in 
consequence of disturbances of menstruation, from too 
close application to study, from mental emotions, such 
as fright or fear. The disease, if protracted, may affect 
the mental functions. The patient shows a loss of 
memory, weakness of the mental capacity, and in some 
extreme cases even foolishness. Under good homoeo- 
pathic treatment the disease is, in most cases, easily 
cured. 

Diabetes Mellitus. 

This disease is characterized by the presence of 
sugar in the urine. The exciting causes of this disease 
are mechanical injuries, especially severe concussions 
of the brain and spinal cord, and diseases of the nerve 
centres; violent mental emotions, such as fright, 



SOME GENERAL DISEASES. 263 

anxiety, fear, grief, immoderate mental strain ; errors 
in diet; exposure to cold and moisture; and follow- 
ing severe illness, especially after intermittent fever. 
The symptoms are obscure in the early stages of the 
disease. Usually the increased thirst and excessive 
urination are noticed ; gradually the strength becomes 
impaired. Sometimes the excessive irritation of the 
private organs, especially in women, is noticed, causing 
heat, dryness, and terrible itching. The disease may 
be very brief in its duration, usually it lasts for years. 
No doubt a number of cases have been cured by the 
different methods of treatment. 

Diabetes Insipidus. 

This affection is characterized by profuse urination 
and great thirst. The urine is free from sugar. There 
is no structural disease of the kidneys. The causes are 
violent and sudden emotions ; chronic diseases of the 
brain and spinal cord ; injuries of the skull ; excessive 
drinking or very cold beverages. The patient very 
rarely dies of this complaint, although it is only a 
symptom to speak correctly, unless the causes which 
give rise to the above condition are necessarily fatal 
in their results. Diabetes insipidus can be cured by 
,medicines, or it may disappear of itself. 

Cramps in the Limbs. 

Cramp in the calves of the legs, in the feet, and in 
other parts of the body causes great suffering and 
often disturbs sleep ; this affection may occur often in 
some persons, while others only experience a slight 
contraction now and then. Those subject to cramp 



264 SOME GENERAL DISEASES. 

habitually at night will find some relief if the head of 
the bed is elevated slightly. The usual procedure dur- 
ing an attack is well known, consisting either in press- 
ing very hard against something firm or very cold. 

Treatment. — Veratrumalb., taken at night on retir- 
ing, will sometimes bring relief to chronic sufferers. 

Sulphur or Colocynthis should be tried after Ve- 
ratrum alb., if it fails. Colocynthis is also good for the 
stiffness and soreness sometimes remaining after an 
attack. 

Rhus tox., for day cramps, especially while sitting, 
or for cramps occurring while pulling off the boots. 
Hyosciamus also for cramps while pulling off the boots. 

Lycopodium. — For cramps occurring principally 
when walking. 

Cuprum. — For cramps at night in bed, principally 
of the soles of the feet, and when the toes are drawn in 
different directions. 

Sleeplessness, Insomnia. 

Among the many ills to which humanity is subject, 
there is probably no condition more annoying than 
sleeplessness. With the changing modes of living, the 
hasty methods of business, and prevailing social customs, 
it is small wonder that our people suffer so almost uni- 
versally from this disorder. To restore the nervous 
forces expended during the day in the business pursuits, 
further depleted by the demands of social life, it is 
necessary that a certain amount of sound, unbroken 
sleep be obtained, it is even imperative. The amount 
of sleep required for the preservation of health varies 
in different people ; a very few hours of sleep in some 



SOME GENERAL DISEASES. 265 

cases, and a great number of hours in others, being 
sufficient for good health. Frederick the Great, Sir 
Walter Ealeigh, and John Hunter are stated to have 
required only four or Ave hours' sleep out of the twenty- 
four. The Duke of Wellington was another person 
requiring only a few hours of slumber, and is said to 
have made it his rule that ' ' when it was time to turn 
over, it was time to turn out." The average amount of 
sleep required by a healthy person has been set down at 
from six to eight hours. In the present age we do not 
observe those habits of regularity and method in our 
daily life which were wont to be the guides of our fore- 
fathers. In the olden times, the habit of men in sleep- 
ing was more like that of the birds, and soon after sun- 
down they retired to rest and rose in the morning at the 
"peep o' day." They lived in slow-moving times, they 
went about their work in the peace and fulness of mind 
which the absence of keen competition and over- 
crowding would assure them. Sleeplessness is, in its 
prominence, essentially a modern affliction, and like one 
form of nervousness which has been dignified by the 
name of "American nervousness," so too might Ave 
speak of American sleeplessness. Americans as a class 
suffer more from insomnia than any other nation. 
The causes are quite the same wherever the affliction 
is found, yet with us our climate, our habits of diet, 
which includes more meat than that of any other people, 
and our lack of outdoor exercise, all tend to bring us to 
that condition which ultimately checks the progress of 
so many brilliant careers by not heeding the premonition 
which the symptom of sleeplessness gives ; and though 
this condition may go on for some time unheeded, and 



266 SOME GENERAL DISEASES. 

in some rare instances does not constitute a disease, yet 
in that large majority of cases it should be taken as a 
warning that incorrect conditions are present that call 
for a radical change. 

Habit has much to do with the obtaining of a proper 
amount of sleep, for, as irregularity is one great source 
of wakefulness, so, on the contrary, is regularity of 
habit an inducer of sound and refreshing sleep. Sailors, 
and those who have to be on duty at certain stated 
hours, can, from mere custom, fall asleep immediately 
they "turn in," and wake at the proper time, so sub- 
servient is our nature to the force of habit. We know 
that moderate physical and mental fatigue is healthy 
and predisposes us to sleep. Every one knows too that 
extreme fatigue, on the other hand, will prevent sleep. 
"I could not sleep because I was too tired," is a well- 
known expression. When we are "overtired," sleep 
usually deserts us. The causes of sleeplessness are many 
and varied. It may be stated that loss of sleep occurs 
as a symptom in many diseases, and in such instances 
the original affection must be the object of treatment ; 
but it often exists as the chief symptom or condition 
to be counteracted. It is universally known, I think, 
that excitement is a fruitful source of wakefulness at 
night. Any such stimulation, particularly if prolonged 
or derived from an unaccustomed source, will almost 
surely dispel sleep. Hence entertainments, as balls, 
parties, theatres, etc., involving as they do excitement 
of the brain and nervous system, and irregularity of 
hours, occasion loss of sleep. The emotions, likewise so 
liable to shocks, caused by sudden joy or sorrow, good 
news and bad, and the incidental anxieties and cares of 



SOME GENERAL DISEASES. 267 

life, when pressing heavily, are all instrumental in pre- 
venting sleep. No more potent influence than care can 
be imagined which robs us of sleep, and too often it is 
a useless worriment, a crossing of bridges before they 
are reached, so many persons* never learn to lay aside 
their cares for even a brief period ; instead of seeking 
diversion by some pleasant occupation for a few hours 
before retiring, they persist in the routine of thoughts 
of the day, and finally try to find repose, when, instead 
of sleep, the quiet and lonely hours are perhaps more 
opportune times for planning, and sleep is dispeUed until 
the habit has become settled, and the path which would 
lead to quiet repose is lost in an endless rushing, crowd- 
ing of ideas. Wakefulness is a common accompaniment 
of the convalescent stage of long and exhausting ill- 
nesses. Sleeplessness is most commonly caused by the 
condition known as brain-fag, or mental over-taxation. 
Sufferers from this malady are to be found amongst all 
classes of people, from the school boy and girl to the 
statesman. It is a sign of the times in which we live. 
Our school system is responsible for far too many cases 
of brain-fag ; the required studies are too numerous ; 
very young children are compelled to devote more time 
and energy than they can well afford to give, and at the 
same time maintain their health. The same hurrying 
and desire to attain a certain standard within the short- 
est period are observable in our school system as well as 
in the pursuits of adult life. Young children should 
not be forced ; their physical growth is rapid, and to 
crowd their little brains is harmful in the extreme, and 
by so doing the extra demand which must be made to 
keep up, robs the nutritive supplies, and often results in 



268 SOME GENERAL DISEASES. 

a general breaking down of health, or they grow up 
mentally strong, but without physique to enjoy their 
attainments. Students, literary, professional, and busi- 
ness men are by their vocations also the subjects of 
brain exhaustion. The requirements of the present day 
are such that to lead, or even keep up, we feel that we 
must work early and late, but it is not necessary that 
every hour and every day should be devoted to ceaseless 
endeavor ; it, however, becomes a habit, a monomania 
almost. We see men so thoroughly engrossed in busi- 
ness that they feel they cannot relax their efforts even 
for a short time ; now this is all wrong, the necessity of 
the times does not call for so entire a concentration of 
the energies of a man in order to succeed, and to 
surrender all other possibilities. 

There is a golden medium, even though we must 
recognize that we live in this age of rushing. The old 
saying that "it is better to wear out than rust out" is 
true, and there would be fewer ' ' mental breakdowns " 
if men would work and play, but not work all day and 
night too. Similar results are incurred by prolonged 
night- watching and all over- anxieties of mind. Dys- 
pepsia is very often the cause of wakefulness, acting as 
it does through disturbance of the sympathetic nervous 
system. Any disturbance set up in the stomach, such 
as may result from overloading or indigestible food, 
causes irritation there, which is reflected thence to the 
brain. This, then, explains why the taking of heavy 
suppers late at night produces that state of unrest or, 
still worse, that condition which we term nightmare. 

Alcoholism. — The immoderate use of alcoholic stim- 
ulants is only too frequently the cause of sleeplessness. 



SOME GENERAL DISEASES. 269 

The chronic inebriate always suffers, more or less, from 
want of sleep ; and when, by continuous irritation of the 
brain and nervous system, the condition known as 
delirium tremens is set up, sleep vanishes entirely, until 
the attack of delirium ceases. Kepeatedly do these 
attacks recur, promising each time shall be the last, but 
the confirmed drinker's system is a shattered one ; his 
mental, moral, and physical forces are impaired ; his 
strength of will is a thing of the past ; and in spite of 
warnings, advice, and treatment, he lapses again and 
again into the old habit, and finally succumbs entirely 
to its influence. It is popularly believed that the 
sudden stoppage of the accustomed stimulus will be 
followed by harmful results, but evidence derived from 
hospital practice, and from the reports of convict 
prisons, seems directly to negative it ; in fact, it is 
highly probable that a person accustomed to the very 
free use of stimulants may at once give them up 
without any danger whatever. In fact, as with other 
poisons, the only risk to be feared is from continuing 
their employment. The apparent harm, whenever it 
occurs from such a course, is simply due to the refusal 
of proper nourishment by the patient. When the 
desire for drink comes, he should take some liquid food, 
such as beef tea, milk, or milk and egg. This will stay 
the craving for stimulants for the time, and check that 
empty sinking at the stomach which always induces 
the yearning for alcoholic drink. 

Tea and Coffee. — The excessive use of either 
induces a whole train of nervous symptoms, with 
dyspepsia and sleeplessness as prominent ailments. 
The frequent indulgence in tea, so common among 



270 SOME GENERAL DISEASES. 

students and ladies, acting as a stimulant, enables 
them to work harder, but it is sure to end in some 
disorder, for action and reaction are equal. A cup 
of tea or coffee drank a short time before retiring 
will often dispel sleep. 

Coldness of the feet is another frequent cause of 
wakefulness at night, and may arise from sluggish 
circulation or want of proper exercise. To " toast " 
the feet at the fire is unwise and unscientific, and 
only produces temporary effect. The same may be 
said of the use of the hot-water bottle for cold feet. 
The only permanent benefit is to be derived from 
the cold foot bath ; the water should only cover the 
ankles, and should have a tablespoonful of mustard 
added to it. The feet, being placed in the water, are 
then to be well rubbed by an attendant for a period of 
six or eight minutes, after which brisk dry friction 
with rough towels should be employed until a thorough 
reaction has taken place. Although this bath may be 
taken at night by those who are wakeful from coldness 
of the feet, it may also be employed with advantage in 
the daytime, when it is well to follow up the process 
by walking exercise to further the reaction of blood to 
the feet. The association between cold feet and sleep- 
lessness is much closer than is commonly imagined. 
Persons with cold feet rarely sleep well, especially 
women ; yet the number of persons so troubled is very 
considerable. Cold feet are the bane of many women. 
Tight boots keep up a bloodless condition of the feet in 
the day, and want of proper exercise, either or both of 
which prevent the proper circulation of the blood ; the 
usual custom among such people is to toast the feet 



SOME GENERAL DISEASES. 271 

before retiring, or have a hot-water bag in bed. But 
it is all of no avail ; their feet still remain cold. How 
to prevent this troublesome condition has been men- 
tioned ; and while it is not a very attractive plan at first 
sight, it is nevertheless efficacious. All are familiar 
with the snowballer's hands. The first contact of the 
snow makes the hands terribly cold, but, as the snow- 
baller perseveres, his hands commence to glow. This 
is the plan to adopt with cold feet. They should be 
dipped in cold water for a brief period ; often just 
immersing them, and no more, is sufficient ; and then 
they should be rubbed with a pair of hair flesh- 
gloves or a rough Turkish towel till they glow, imme- 
diately before getting into bed. Pills, potions, lozenges, 
" nightcaps," all narcotics, fail to enable the sufferer to 
woo sleep successfully ; # get rid of the cold feet, and 
then sleep will come of itself. 

Sleeplessness as a concomitant symptom of disease 
is well known ; many persons of nervous, hysterical 
disposition from the least excitement will be sleepless. 
Pain of all kinds banishes sleep, and of a necessity the 
only way to produce sleep is to cure the causes if 
possible which produce the sufferings. 

Treatment . — In all cases where sleeplessness is the 
only apparent symptom, oftentimes there will be found 
to exist a cause other than mental worry, overtaxa- 
tion, etc. I have previously referred to the ill effects of 
taking heavy and late suppers, to the loss of sleep or 
labored sleep and nightmare which they often occasion ; 
but in conditions of mental or nervous exhaustion, a 
moderately substantial supper of wholesome quality is 
often needed to aid in bringing about sleep. It is gener- 



272 SOME GENERAL DISEASES. 

ally a safe rule not to go to bed hungry, or to try to sleep 
if the stomach feels empty or ' ' all gone. " The increased 
supply of blood determined to the stomach by the pro- 
cess of digestion relieves the congested blood-vessels of 
the brain, and sleep is thereby encouraged. It fre- 
quently happens that patients will complain of waking 
at an unusually early hour in the morning, or of wak- 
ing often, and find it difficult to sleep again. On awak- 
ing let such persons take some light food, such as a 
plain cracker or warm milk, and further sleep will 
often ensue. The usual ways and means of inducing 
sleep by monotony of thought or sound, continuous 
counting, the reiteration of the alphabet forward and 
backwards, the recital of some favorite poem over and 
over again, the imagining of some place far distant 
perhaps, that tend to bring back pleasant memories, 
these and many others succeed in inducing sleep, and 
are familiar to all. Exercise is a matter of importance 
to the sleepless, particularly to those of feeble and 
languid circulation, and who habitually complain of 
cold feet. There is much wisdom in the ancient piece 
of advice, " after supper walk a mile." Those who, 
from their vocations, are unable to obtain sufficient 
exercise, or who suffer from a feeble circulation, will 
derive considerable benefit from the operation of mas- 
sage. Dr. Talcot says of it : " Not only is the process 
entitled massage of singular value in the rebuilding of 
worn and depleted systems, but we find in our experi- 
ence that it is a remarkable promoter of sound and 
healthful sleep. When persons cannot afford time 
during the day to take a sufficient amount of outdoor 
exercise, the services of a masseur may be called in for 



SOME GENERAL DISEASES. 273 

an hour during the evening, and the benefits of a five- 
mile walk be thus obtained, not the least of those 
benefits being a subsequent night's rest of the most 
grateful and refreshing character." Those who suffer 
from sleeplessness should avoid being too warmly cov- 
ered at night ; an excess of clothes induces an over- 
heated condition of the body, with restlessness and 
insomnia as consequences. It is likewise wellnigh im- 
possible to sleep if too lightly covered ; cold and exces- 
sive heat are enemies to sleep. There should be a free 
circulation of air through the bedchamber, and it is a 
happy and healthful practice to become accustomed to 
sleep with the window open the whole year round. In 
these days of " Pullman cars" and rapid railway trav- 
elling, Dr. Tuthill Massy recommends that persons go 
headforemost in sleeping cars, otherwise the blood will 
rush to the brain and the feet become cold. A word of 
warning must here find a place for the benefit of those 
who, to obtain sleep, depend upon opiates or other nar- 
cotics. The apology for sleep which all these agents 
produce must necessarily be followed by a reaction ; 
the dose has to be repeated, until, by constant use, the 
system becomes so inured to the influence of the fa- 
vored soporific, that larger and increasing quantities 
have to be taken to produce the desired effect. The 
sufferer, weakened in body and mind and driven to 
despair, seeks refuge in another drug, which for a time, 
perhaps, produces the desired result, until at last, in 
sheer despair and from the urgent want of sleep, an 
overdose is swallowed, and there comes i ' the sleep that 
knows not waking." Instances of profound dosing 
with narcotics by allopathic and, I am sorry to say it, 



27i SOME GENERAL DISEASES. 

by so-called homoeopathic physicians are numerous. I 
think I do not exaggerate when I say that a great 
many patients are killed yearly by their use. Certain 
it is that the use of narcotics during sickness has pro- 
duced a confirmed habit of their use. Homoeopaths, if 
true to their law of cure, never will make use of 
sedatives or narcotics in any form. Every case can be 
met, if the physician has the requisite patience and 
knowledge of his drugs. By the use of only the 
indicated remedy, which includes sleeplessness as one of 
the symptoms, it will bring about a change by curing 
the cause, and not simply overcoming it for a short 
time, as is the case when sedatives or narcotics are 
used. When pain is the cause of the loss of sleep, 
then too will the curative drug, which is the one that 
is homoeopathic to the case, stop the pain, and then 
will sleep follow. The allopathic physician and some 
wrongly called homoeopathic physicians believe that to 
stop pain by morphine or other narcotic is the only 
thing to be done ; but alas, how many times massive 
doses are required, and although the pain is deadened, 
the heart and brain are so profoundly overcome by the 
narcotic, that a long and tedious illness often ensues 
that would not have followed from the original cause 
which produced the pain ! In incurable cases, narcotics 
are not called for ; greater comfort and full possession 
of the faculties will be obtained by the use of homoeo- 
pathic remedies carefully selected. 



CHAPTEK XXXIII. 

CHILDREN AND THEIR DISEASES. 

The proper rearing of children necessitates patience, 
intelligence, constant watchfulness, and knowledge of 
the laws of health. The future well-being of the child 
depends upon the early treatment it receives. Its food 
must be correctly furnished and prepared, if it is to be 
brought up by artificial feeding. Its hygienic sur- 
roundings must be carefully considered, and above all 
watchfulness on the part of parents that the first symp- 
toms of trouble may be recognized. In order, there- 
fore, that this care may be competent, let us consider 
in a general way the normal type of development. The 
average weight of the new-born child varies between 
six and nine pounds. The length varies from sixteen 
to twenty-two inches. From the first day the growth 
in length and weight go on progressively and according 
to fairly defined rules. The child increases in length 
most rapidly during the first week ; after that time the 
weight and length progress uniformly until the sixth 
month, after which time it is not as rapid. Children 
fed from the breast grow more steadily, and always 
exceed those fed artificially. It has been stated that 
the child grows in weight and length uniformly until 
the sixth month ; this holds true in a measure, and 
although there are no definite proportions, there is a 
certain relation between them. A healthy child after the 



276 CHILDREN AND THEIR DISEASES. 

first week usually gains about four pounds in weight 
in three months ; during teething period, weight and 
length apparently stand still. It may be stated approxi- 
mately that a healthy child should weigh twenty-five 
pounds, and measure ten inches in height, when two 
years old ; the third year about four pounds are added 
to the weight, and four and one half inches to the 
stature ; from the first to the tenth year a child should 
show a yearly gain of four or five pounds ; after ten 
years of age to seventeen the yearly increase should be 
at the rate of eight pounds a year. There are other 
measurements which furnish evidence of the normal 
development of children, — the measurement of the 
head and thorax. The circumference of the head of 
the new-born is stated to be about twelve inches, and, 
gradually increasing until at the twenty-first month, it 
measures nineteen inches ; the thorax has a circum- 
ference of twelve and one half inches at birth, and at 
the twenty-first month the measurement of the chest 
increases to sixteen and one half inches. Up to this 
period it will be perceived that the head has increased 
in growth faster than the chest ; but from this time on 
the relative proportions are reversed, and at the end of 
the third year the circumference of the thorax exceeds 
that of the head ; if this does not take place, it is a sign 
of constitutional disease possibly. The measurements 
here given must be considered in the light of approxi- 
mations, for climate, food, nationality, and heredity 
have a marked influence on the process of growth ; it is 
also to be remembered that the growth of children is 
not always constant ; some continue in regular pro- 
gression, others remain, for a longer or shorter period, 



CHILDREN AND THEIR DISEASES. 277 

almost stationary, and then for a time grow rapidly. 
The infant is unable to maintain the head in an upright 
position until the fourth month, and if poorly nourished 
this may be postponed indefinitely ; the first attempt to 
sit up is usually noticed about a month later, although 
a really firm seat does not obtain usually until the tenth 
or twelfth month. Some children never creep on the 
floor, but the majority begin to show signs of creeping 
about the ninth month, although some children have 
been known to walk even at this early date ; as a rule, 
however, walking is not possible before the fifteenth 
month, or until two years old ; there is no absolute rule 
in these matters. It may be remarked that girls de- 
velop faster than boys, and that the second or succeed- 
ing children learn, by imitation of their elders in the 
nursery, to talk and walk earlier. 

The Pulse. 

The pulse of infants is very variable, the normal 
frequency in the first few weeks fluctuates between 
120 and 150 ; at the end of the first year, the pulse rate 
is varied from 100 to 120 ; from this period the fre- 
quency diminishes, until at the fifth year the normal 
rate of 90 is reached. 

The Respiration. 

The number of respirations per minute varies in the 
new-born from 30 to 50, the frequency gradually dimin- 
ishing to 25 or 30. It is stated that a child produces, in 
proportion to its size, nearly twice as much carbonic 
acid as an adult. 



278 CHILDREN AND THEIR DISEASES. 

Infant Feeding. 

It is universally admitted by physicians of all 
schools of practice that breast-feeding is superior to 
any other method. On the one hand, we must consider 
those circumstances which arise when breast-milk does 
not agree with the child, as sometimes happens ; and 
when nursing becomes impossible, from a want of milk, 
or the quality or quantity, from either or all of these 
conditions nursing is impossible. On the other hand, 
we must consider the relative values of artificial foods, 
and which one offers the most reliable results from its 
use. Human milk, it has been stated, is admitted the 
only natural food for an infant, and therefore is the 
best, but many infants do not thrive on the food nature 
has provided, and we are forced to provide some com- 
pound that will agree. The fact that so many artificial 
foods are manufactured and used, too, shows that physi- 
cians themselves are not agreed as to the best one, and 
the fact that new foods are being introduced is evidence 
that a perfect substitute has not been found as yet. 
Within the last few years a new field of work and 
investigation has been opened to the profession by dis- 
covering the presence of germs or bacteria, to which 
has been attributed the power of producing diseases, 
and, from elaborate scientific investigations applied to 
their influence in infant-feeding, has led to a conclusion 
which seems as though it should have always been 
known, that, as human milk is always sterile, that is, 
it contains no bacteria, that therefore cow's milk 
ought to be sterilized ; by so doing, we approach nearer 
the standard of nature, and from the undoubted truth 
of the discovery of disease-bearing germs found in milk 



CHILDREN AND THEIR DISEASES. 279 

and many other substances as well, we have in the 
process of sterilization a means of destroying these 
germs ; but this is only one of the many steps to be 
taken in producing an artificial food for infants. It is 
especially important that we endeavor to copy, each in 
its turn, the various ingredients and devices which 
Nature makes use of in her production of human milk, 
for we cannot, if we try, improve it. We have not 
yet acquired sufficient knowledge to enable us to follow 
nature exactly, and we therefore have not yet obtained 
a perfect substitute for breast- milk, but that may yet 
be discovered, and until it is, we must consider well the 
imitations which are offered. We constantly hear of 
one food that gives brilliant results, and equally encour- 
aging reports from others, and yet infant mortality still 
remains far above that from human breast-milk. It is 
a significant fact, that breast-fed infants gain flesh 
faster, and their development is likewise more rapid. 
If from any cause the mother is unable to nurse her 
child, it would be for the child's good if a healthy, clean 
wet nurse could be obtained ; but this suggestion 
carries many obstacles with it. It is difficult to obtain 
a wet nurse when wanted, then, too, to obtain the 
services of a well, strong woman, who has not had any 
constitutional troubles in the past, whose milk is of 
proper age ; in fact, to procure a proper nurse requires 
the services of a careful physician. If it is found 
better to use artificial foods, attention should be paid 
to every detail. The nursing bottle should be simple, 
easily cleaned, and provided with a plain nipple drawn 
over the mouth of the bottle. All complicated arrange- 
ments are dangerous to the health of the child, as they 



280 CHILDREN AND THEIR DISEASES. 

are more difficult to cleanse, and offer larger surface for 
fermentation to take place, from which disease germs 
spring. During the first week, infants artificially fed 
should be given nourishment every two hours and 
about one ounce each time, and in the course of 
twenty-four hours should be fed ten times ; from the 
end of the first week to the time the child is eight 
weeks old, the amount given should be a little more 
each day, until two ounces are taken at each feeding, 
with an interval of two and one half hours between. 
When the child is three months old it should be fed 
every three hours, and requires from three to four 
ounces each time. Judgment should be used in this 
matter, as no actual rule can be made. If the child 
increases in weight from week to week and appears 
well, the amount of food is to be as gradually increased. 
Many points must be considered in this matter of 
feeding ; a food may be sufficiently nutritious, yet 
improperly digested, or again insufficiently nutritious, 
and properly digested. It is always a good plan to 
make weekly weighings of children, and while not 
an absolute test, much may be learned therefrom. 
Before considering the subject of artificial foods, there 
are several points which demand a passing word. We 
have stated that the mother's milk is the only scientific 
food for a child ; such is the case, but there are many 
children deprived of it from some supposed irritant 
conveyed by the milk to the child. There are many 
difficulties which beset the nursing mother : mental 
emotions react upon the child, producing much suffer- 
ing, and in some cases death of the child ; then, too, 
drugs, if administered to the mother, affect the child 



CHILDREN AND THEIR DISEASES. 281 

seriously. There is another danger in too frequent 
nursing. How often do mothers nurse their children to 
keep them quiet ! Irregularity in nursing, too frequent 
nursing, and too prolonged intervals often so disturb 
the quality of the mother's milk as to render it unfit 
for the child. Many children are nursed for three or 
four months, and, from some supposed irritant in the 
mother's milk, the child is put on artificial foods ; 
whereas, had proper investigations been made as to all 
the habits of the mother, and a carefuL examination 
of the milk been made, a wiser course might have 
been decided upon. I am convinced that were greater 
care used in this matter, the infant mortality would be 
less, and there would be fewer artificially fed babies. 
It must be admitted that there are valid reasons for not 
allowing a mother to nurse her child : if her general 
health is impaired from some constitutional cause, as 
consumption or syphilis. But because the mother looks 
too delicate, she should not be denied the privilege of 
nursing her child, without first examining the milk 
critically. Eecognizing the fact that human milk is 
the best food for an infant, we are forced to admit that 
with our methods of living, the proportion of bottle-fed 
babies will continue increasing. The better to under- 
stand how to imitate the composition of human milk 
demands great attention. To-day the great hue and 
cry is for sterilized milk ; and while this process 
undoubtedly is a step in the right direction, there 
remain other points equally important to be considered. 
Babies that are breast fed usually have a more uni- 
formly developed stomach than the artificially fed. It 
is therefore necessary that the quantity of food given 



282 CHILDREN AND THEIR DISEASES. 

by bottle be accurately measured, and in proportion to 
the weight of the child ; in this way the rule is wider 
in its application than to follow a plan of feeding 
according to the child's age or apparent hunger. Many 
children become weaker and thinner, though they take 
large quantities of food, owing to improper quality and 
quantity of the food in the great majority of cases. 
There is greater danger of overfeeding children than 
that they will have too little. As soon as it becomes 
apparent from very careful investigation that the baby 
must be fed on artificially prepared food, either in 
conjunction with the limited supply which the mother 
may have, which is, I think, generally considered the 
better plan, rather than entirely discard it, or that it 
shall be wholly fed artificially, — I say, as soon as this is 
decided upon, then comes the all-important question, 
what food shall we use to take the place of that which 
nature has provided ? We are told of this one's baby 
that did so splendidly on this food, of another on that 
kind, and so the names almost become legion. The 
weight of evidence goes to prove that unmodified cow's 
milk does not agree with infants in the early months, of 
their life. From comparisons made of human milk 
and cow's milk, it is perfectly certain that marked 
chemical differences exist ; and therefore since it is 
admitted that of course no better food can be found 
than human milk, it is practically settled that it is 
possible to modify cow's milk until a compound is 
obtained that approaches human milk as closely as 
possible. Regarding the modification of cow's milk by 
mixing with any of the prepared foods now on the 
market, it can only be said in argument against them 



CHILDREN AND THEIR DISEASES. 2S3 

that they all contain an element foreign to the ingre- 
dients of human milk ; and as we cannot improve 
on nature's methods, they should be regarded with 
suspicion. That there are many children who have 
thrived on Horlick's, Mellen's, and other food prepara- 
tions, is not to be denied, and they will continue to be 
used. There are, however, infants that do not do well 
on any of these ; and while not wishing to be understood 
to undervalue their merits in certain cases, still I believe 
modified cow's milk sterilized will be found to be more 
suitable for a larger number of infants than any other 
preparation. I do not intend to emphasize the need of 
sterilizing milk as enhancing its value ; it is an old and 
correct theory that boiled milk is more digestible ; it is 
likewise true that milk which has been sterilized keeps 
longer ; if added to these benefits, we know that 
disease-producing germs are destroyed also by steriliz- 
ing, it seems as though it is an important factor. It 
has been stated that cow's milk is the best to be used, 
but mention has not been made of condensed milk, 
which should be classed with the patent foods, a prep- 
aration varying in its proportions and containing little 
nutritive value, although in some cases of feeble diges- 
tion, from whatever cause, it certainly is very service- 
able ; but I can see no benefit derived from its use that 
could not be obtained from ordinary milk modified to 
the conditions of the infant. The preparation which 
approaches the nearest the chemical composition of 
human milk, and which has in my hands produced most 
gratifying results, is a compound or mixture first 
fomulated by Dr. Meigs, of Philadelphia, and since 
modified by Dr. Rotch, of Boston, and is as follows : — 



284 CHILDREN AND THEIR DISEASES. 

Cream 11-2 ounces. 

Milk 1 " 

Water 5 " 

Milk Sugar 3 3-8 drams. 

The above formula has to be changed somewhat to 
meet the varying conditions of children. Sometimes 
the amount of cream must be lessened when the 
digestion seems unable to care for so much fat, though 
as a rule it is not the cream which is the cause of the 
indigestion, but the milk may not be suitable. The main 
points to be carefully noted in any food mixture for 
babies are, to obtain a slightly alkaline compound, and 
one in which there is sufficient fat and not too great a 
quantity of albuminoids, which is the fault in cow's 
milk unmodified, and that no starch is present in the 
food. There are various thicknesses of cream to be 
obtained, and it is necessary that a thin cream, register- 
ing twenty per cent, be used. I have said the milk is 
to be sterilized ; that is nothing more nor less than 
boiling or steaming it. Boiled milk, however, has a 
peculiar taste, and when cool has a scum on the surface. 
There is also a general belief that it is constipating, 
but it may be that raw milk is less digestible, and, 
therefore, more liable to cause diarrhoea. Steamed 
milk, while it also has some odor, and taste, and a 
scum, these are so much less than in boiled milk that 
the scum will readily disappear on shaking ; it there- 
fore seems better to steam the milk than to boil it. 
Dr. Jeffries very aptly says ' ' that it is a curious fact 
that, while older people are chiefly fed on sterilized 
food, that is, cooked food, infants are fed on food 
peculiarly adapted, by its composition and fluid state, to 
offer a home for bacteria." Boiled milk does not 



CHILDREN AND THEIR DISEASES. 285 

become sour as quickly as raw milk, due, of course, 
largely to the fact of its sterilization. This is admitted 
by all, I think, and so I would advise that infants 
artificially fed should receive their food sterilized, 
thereby lessening the danger of indigestion and con- 
tagion by impurities in the milk. The following plan 
has been the one usually recommended by me, and 
found, I think, quite simple : Having obtained a daily 
supply of thin cream (twenty per cent), mix the whole 
quantity of food which is to be used by the infant in 
twenty-four hours, by mixing as soon as the milk and 
cream come in in the morning, and according to the 
formula given. For example, if it is desired to prepare 
one pint of food, first pour into a measuring glass two 
ounces of milk ; then add three ounces of cream and 
ten ounces of water ; then add six and three fourths 
drams of milk-sugar ; now pour this mixture, as soon 
as the sugar is dissolved, into the feeding bottles, each 
to contain as many ounces as will be required for one 
feeding, using as many bottles as is necessary ; it is 
ready now to be steamed or sterilized. There are many 
sterilizers offered for sale, and, of course, they differ 
somewhat in construction, but the principle is the same 
in all ; the requisite article being a tin pail eight or ten 
inches in diameter, and twenty or twenty- four inches 
deep, with legs sufficiently high to allow a gas burner 
to stand under it ; this, however, is not essential, as 
the pail can be placed on the stove ; then a perforated 
tin sheet, on which the bottles can stand while being 
sterilized, which is to be held four inches from the 
bottom of the pail ; a cover with a small vent in it for 
the escape of steam fits on the pail. Water is placed 



286 



CHILDREN AND THEIR DISEASES. 



in the bottom of the steamer to the depth of about an 
inch, which is allowed to boil, and then place the tin 
sheet or diaphragm in place, on which the bottles are 
to be stood ; the mouths of the feeding bottles are 
loosely packed with clean, absorbent cotton, the cover 
is now adjusted, and the steaming continued for thirty 
or forty minutes. The bottles are now removed and 
allowed to cool. When the food is required subse- 
quently, a bottle is simply immersed in hot water to 
bring the milk to a required temperature ; the cotton 
should always remain in the neck of the bottle until 
just before the nipple is put on at the time of feeding. 
Food sterilized in this way can be kept for a number of 
days, and can be utilized when the infant is to be taken 
a journey. When a steamer cannot be obtained, made 
especially for the purpose, a simple colander with a lid, 
placed on the teakettle or over a pot of boiling water, 
will answer quite as well. 



GENERAL RULES FOR FEEDING. 



Age. 


Intervals of 
Feeding. 


Average Amount at 
Each Feeding. 


Average Amount in 
24 Hours. 


First week. 


2 hours. 


1 ounce. 


10 ounces. 


One to eight weeks. 


2>o hours. 


\%_ to 2 ounces. 


12 to 16 ounces. 


Eight to fourteen 
weeks and possibly to 
fifth or sixth month. 


3 hours. 


3 to 4 ounces. 


18 to 24 ounces. 


At six months. 


3 hours. 


6 ounces. 


36 ounces. 


At ten months. 


3 hours. 


8 ounces. 


40 ounces. 



Certain abuses should be referred to common with 
artificially fed children. Never allow a child to feed 



CHILDREN AND THEIR DISEASES. 287 

from a bottle while lying down ; imitate, as near as 
possible, the position of a breast-fed child. Avoid 
complicated nursing bottles ; use only a nipple, on a 
smooth, wide -mouth bottle ; cleanse all bottles with 
soap and hot water, and when not in use fill with a 
solution of soda and water. The nipples should be 
turned inside out and thoroughly washed ; they, too, 
should be kept in clean water when not in use; Do 
not use a nipple too long, but procure new ones often. 
Examine the openings in every nipple to see if the 
flow of milk through them is neither too free nor 
restricted. Feed the child at regular intervals, and 
regulate the frequency according to the age of the 
child ; the quantity should also be accurately regulated 
according to the weight of the child ; bear in mind 
the mistake .is oftenest made of giving too much food 
rather than too little. If the child does not take the 
whole of its milk at one feeding, throw it away. 
Never reheat the milk, or use it after it has been 
standing. Better waste a little food than jeopardize 
the health of the child. The milk from a herd is 
better than one cow's milk, for obvious reasons. 

"Weaning". 

The time of weaning cannot be positively stated 
for all children ; dentition is usually a determining 
process, and as soon as the lower incisor teeth appear it 
may be considered time to think of a change of food or 
supplemental feeding. With the eruption of the teeth 
occurs a change in the digestive organs of the child, — 
a change which makes possible the digestion of ad- 
ditional elements, and a necessity for the continued 



288 CHILDREN AND THEIR DISEASES. 

growth of the tissues. It is too commonly believed 
that when the teeth appear the child requires a greatly 
changed diet ; nothing could be further from the truth ; 
milk should continue to be the chief article of the 
child's diet even up to the fifth year, and perhaps longer, 
but not modified ; as above mentioned, cow's milk ster- 
ilized ought now to be used. Certain additions may 
properly be made ; some farinaceous substance can 
be added to the milk, — barley water, bread crumbs, 
bread jelly. Beef tea is often a good intercurrent 
food ; also mutton and veal broths are nutritious. 
Mutton broth is excellent if the child has diarrhoea ; 
veal broth sometimes produces looseness of the bowels. 
As soon as the child has its full complement of 
teeth (sixteen in number), a more varied diet may 
be given. At this period potatoes may be given 
sparingly, either baked or mashed, stale bread and 
butter, and soft boiled eggs. The child should be fed 
five or six times daily ; it is, however, generally better 
to continue with a milk diet in the main, adding 
thereto barley water or well- cooked oatmeal. If this 
plan is carried out, the terrors of the second summer 
are overcome. Then comes a period when children are 
walking alone, and have passed the second summer 
safely, when parents often relax their efforts to select 
proper food for their children. They now sit at table 
and are allowed to taste of many things which are 
improperly given either by the parents themselves or 
some other imprudent person. Such liberties often 
make children dissatisfied with their simple diet, where- 
as, had they never known the taste of other food, they 
would continue satisfied with their simple diet. Children 



CHILDREN AND THEIR DISEASES. 289 

at the age of three to five should be allowed well-cooked 
oatmeal, rex wheat, wheat germ, wheaten grits, white 
and Graham bread and butter, with plenty of milk, 
boiled eggs, plain soups, oyster broth, roast beef, mutton 
and broiled beefsteak, in very small quantities, fresh 
fish ; if unusually hearty, allowed to have milk be- 
tween meals. Fresh ripe fruit may be given in moder- 
ation ; potatoes may be given as before mentioned, also 
peas, macaroni, and tomatoes. Avoid all spices and 
salted meats, made gravies, and highly seasoned food. 
Allow no tea, coffee, wine, or beer. The articles men- 
tioned are not all that may in some cases be allowable ; 
it is impossible to lay down arbitrary rules for the feed- 
ing of children ; it must be borne in mind that the old 
saying, u one man's meat is another man's poison," is 
applicable to children as well. 



CHAPTEE XXXIV. 

FEATURES OP SICKNESS, AND GENERAL RULES 
FOR NURSING OF SICK CHILDREN. 

It is as important to keep a child in health as to 
know how to restore it when sick. A mother carefully 
watches her child during its waking and sleeping, and 
if the attention is intelligent, every abnormal symptom 
is noted. Too many mothers worry and fret over 
trifling ills, while others fail to recognize sickness when 
present. In some families the use of a clinical ther- 
mometer is of benefit, providing the knowledge that 
there is a rise in temperature does not cause too great 
alarm, and if the persons using the thermometer will 
inform themselves of the true significance of thermom- 
etry, then will the instrument be a valuable aid in the 
management of children's ailments. The normal tem- 
perature of a child is about 98 2.-5° to 99° F. Thermom- 
eters now in use are provided with what is known as 
an indestructible index, there being a broken column 
of mercury ; when heat is applied the columns rise to 
their registering point, and when the thermometer is 
removed, the upper piece of mercury is left in position 
and remains in the exact place to which it was elevated. 
To test the temperature of a person, always look at the 
register and see that the upper column of mercury is 
opposite the 96° marking ; if it is higher, by holding 
the end which contains the mercury down, and hitting 
one hand against the other, the column or register will 



RULES FOR NURSING OF SICK CHILDREN. 291 

be shaken down ; this should be done carefully, and 
when the above-named point is reached, place the 
lower end or bulb of the thermometer in the armpit, 
and see that the flesh completely surrounds the bulb ; 
it is to be kept in this position five minutes, and upon 
removal the temperature is noted ; then carefully wash 
the instrument in cold water. In young infants it is 
much easier to take the temperature by inserting the 
bulb, properly oiled, about one inch into the rectum. 
Children often submit much easier to this procedure 
than under the arm. The child should be laid on the 
bed upon its left side, and covered with a light blanket ; 
the observer should hold the thermometer and place the 
other hand on the body to prevent sudden movement 
of the child and displacement of the instrument. The 
mercury rises rapidly, and therefore need be retained 
in position only one or two minutes. In estimating the 
significance of temperature elevation or depression, 
great care must be shown. Bear in mind that a normal 
temperature may vary from 97° to 100° F., being influ- 
enced by the time of day. The temperature taken at the 
rectum is usually one degree higher normally than that 
under the arms. The temperature is likely to go below 
the normal about midnight, and a degree above in the 
afternoon. A child's temperature is more easily dis- 
turbed than an adult's : a slight digestive trouble may 
cause the temperature to rise quickly to a great height. 
To rightly interpret the results of thermometry, an 
accurate record should be kept on paper. State time 
of day, then the registering of the thermometer ; 
repeat the observation in two hours, and again make 
a note of it. Taking the temperature at stated inter- 



292 RULES FOR NURSING OF SICK CHILDREN. 

vals, and making a record of it, enables one to follow 
the nature of the causes which produce the fever. 
From continued elevation of temperature to spasmodic 
rise and fall much can be learned ; a continued rise of 
temperature is more to be dreaded than a high temper- 
ature followed by long remission. If the temperature 
daily grows higher, much anxiety is to be felt, or a high 
temperature followed by a subnormal of two degrees or 
more is a greater cause for anxiety. Rapid rise in tem- 
perature continuing only a few hours, followed by nor- 
mal heat, occurs during slight catarrhal troubles and 
simple digestive irregularities. Continued rise of tem- 
perature indicates inflammation of some internal organ, 
as the lungs or pleura, or some continued fever, as 
typhoid, scarlet fever, or measles. Subnormal temper- 
ature is caused either by hemorrhage or loss of fluids, 
as in cholera infantum ; in wasting diseases, as anaemia, 
mal- nutrition, or occurring during the course of any 
inflammatory trouble when the vital forces are becom- 
ing depressed. Subnormal temperature should always 
be considered dangerous. The degrees of temperature 
should be carefully understood, that their significance 
may be given a proper interpretation. Unless such 
knowledge is obtained, many a mother will be caused 
unnecessary alarm, or even distrust her physician be- 
cause he does not do more for her sick baby, or if per- 
chance she calls another one, not to over-rate the latter 
because his coming was at the stage of decline of fever 
due to natural causes. The temperature of adults is 
quite uniform, though extremes of age have their in- 
fluence. In very aged persons a temperature of 97° F. 
may still be normal, and we must remember that in 



RULES FOR NURSING OF SICK CHILDREN. 



293 



children the temperature is somewhat higher than 
adults, and the daily range greater. From Finlayson's 
"Clinical Manual" I copy the following table as a 
guide : — 

95° Fahr. ^) Very low or collapse tem- 

96.8° " ) peratures. 

97.7° " Subnormal temperatures. 

9S.6° " Normal temperatures. 

1 SHghtly above normal, or 



Below 

About 
normal. 

About 

About 

About 
Above 



99.5° 
100.4° 
U01.3° 
('102.2° 
(103.1° 

f 104° 

(108.8° 
105° 



slight fever tempera- 
tures. 

Moderate fever tempera- 
tures. 

Highly febrile tempera- 
tures. 
Excessive fever tempera- 
tures. 



General Hygienic Rules. 

Every family cannot set aside a separate room for a 
nursery, but every one can observe certain rules which, 
if carried out, will redound to the health of the children 
and adults as well. Sunlight and pure dry air should 
be the essential features of every home, but more par- 
ticularly should attention be paid to obtain both of these 
for children who spend so much time indoors. During 
the fall, spring, and winter seasons the proper tempera- 
ture of the house is difficult to obtain, and at the same 
time have proper ventilation. Those who can have 
open fires are supplied with means for both ends, though 
they cause floor draughts which are felt by young chil- 
dren who spend much time on the floor. In winter, 



294 RULES FOR NURSING OF SICK CHILDREN. 

when rooms are heated by stoves, great care must be 
taken that some form of window ventilation be obtained, 
and there is no excuse for not having it, since the ex- 
pense is trifling. The temperature of the nursery should 
be from 65° to 68° F. This may seem too low a standard 
of heat for many, but if it were the general custom to 
maintain as low a temperature, there would be fewer 
i 'colds" taken. The arrangement of the windows in 
the nursery should require special thought ; not only 
does the radiation of cold from the glass deduct from 
the heat of the room, but children are subjected to 
this difference of heat if they stand near the win- 
dows, therefore it is necessary that some ingenuity 
be shown to prevent them from standing near them. 
The furnishings of a nursery should be simple in 
character, the floor of hard wood or covered with rugs 
that can be easily removed for cleaning. Children 
should never sleep in the same bed with their nurse, 
or with old people, nor in the same room occupied by 
any person known to be suffering from consumption. 
There should be no set bowls in any sleeping-room, 
and better that the bath-room should be as far re- 
moved as possible from sleeping-rooms. Toilet pow- 
ders are often of more harm than good; in fact, they 
are wellnigh unnecessary if care be taken to dry the 
skin by pressure with soft cloths ; powder may be of 
some use to prevent chafing around the seat and groins. 
The toilet powders usually sold in the shops are mainly 
composed of lycopodium, and should never be employed; 
powdered starch or talc is best. The infant's clothing 
should be light in weight, yet warm, and all parts uni- 
formly protected ; avoid tight clothing or bands. There 



RULES FOR NURSING OF SICK CHILDREN. 295 

is no greater abomination than the practice of pinning 
children's skirts ; all garments should hang from the 
shoulders ; abdominal bands are unnecessary after the 
first few months. Opportunity must be given for free 
movements of arms and legs, and that it may breathe 
naturally. How often do infants cry and worry from 
too tight clothing ! Children's nightgowns should always 
be of cotton and wool, for the bodily heat falls markedly 
during the sleeping hours. Then, too, a child should be 
uniformly protected by night as by day. Children must 
be kept out of doors as much as possible ; they can be 
taken out at the first month, for a very short time, well 
protected ; the eyes should be shielded from the bright 
light ; as they grow older keep them out in the air as 
much as possible. 

General Nursing of Sick Children. 

Good nursing is better than doctoring, is an old say- 
ing, and one is dependent upon the other for good re- 
sults. It is of first importance that the person who is 
to take care of the children when sick should be firm 
though gentle, and when the confidence of the child is 
won, then will the rules so important for the welfare of 
the child be of utmost good. Never deceive a child in 
the slightest degree ; for though the deception may avail 
your purpose once, you are prejudicing your future use- 
fulness. Children are too often coddled and fondled too 
much when sick. It may seem unsympathetic to lay a 
child in its bed; but if the experience of physicians and 
hospital nurses could be every mother's, they would 
never forget the restful expressions, even of sick chil- 
dren, when allowed to lie quietly in their beds. It is this 



296 RULES FOR XURSIXG OF SICK CHILDREN. 

apparent letting alone which is so important in nurs- 
ing sick children. It may be said in rebuttal of this 
teaching that children cry to be taken up, but they 
know not what is for their physical good. It is true, 
nevertheless, that children will rest and recuperate better 
if let alone. Pure, fresh air is of necessity, and that 
the supply is constant, care being taken that the tem- 
perature never falls below 60° F. In lung troubles it is 
of great importance that the child who is breathing so 
rapidly, and consuming the oxygen of the air so quickly, 
be given a renewal at frequent periods. Never allow 
the gas or a lamp to burn low in a sick-room ; it 
vitiates the air quickly ; candles are far better to use. 
The majority of children are warmly dressed during the 
day, but when put to bed they are too often thinly 
clothed. The nightgown, or combination garments, 
should be of cotton and wool, loose and easily changed-; 
in sickness they should be changed at least twice daily. 
As it is difficult to keep children covered while lying in 
bed. a light-weight woollen sack should be put on that 
will offer protection for the chest and arms. The feed- 
ing of sick children is often a matter of great difficulty, 
and requires patience in its proper fulfilment. If the 
child is fed artificially, the utensils should be scrupu- 
lously clean, and the food, which must be given often, 
must be freshly prepared each time. In general, when 
children are sick, diminish the quantity of food and its 
strength, and give in small quantities oftener, according 
to the apparent need of the patient. Bathing or 
sponging the child with alcohol and water is necessary, 
and should be repeated twice daily unless otherwise or- 
dered. Hot baths should be of a temperature of 95 c F. 



i 



RULES FOR NURSING OF SICK CHILDREN. 297 

A thermometer should be used to determine the requi- 
site heat, and not the hand. For children in health, a 
hot bath had better be given daily for the first year, but 
always sponge the child with cool water after taking 
him from the hot bath ; then thoroughly but gently dry 
the skin. The cool sponging is a good prophylactic 
against taking cold. Very sick children should be care- 
fully watched to recognize the first appearance of a bed- 
sore, that it may be detected, and means at once taken 
to protect it. Children so rapidly grow ill that the 
attendant should be on the alert for every change. 
Mothers should never wait for a child's illness to define 
itself, but check the early manifestations of trouble ; it 
is better to call the doctor once unnecessarily than an 
hour too late. Quiet is another essential for the sick, 
whether adult or child. Many a child has been forced 
into a fatal relapse by over joyous parents or friends 
trying to entertain the little one, or the course of a 
disease been made more tedious for want of quiet and 
rest. 

The Features in Sickness. 

There are certain general evidences in diseases of 
chronic and acute nature which aid in locating the seat 
of trouble. We notice the enlargement of glands in 
the neck or groins, or films over the sight of the eye, 
and the peculiar pink and white color of the complexion, 
all indicating a scrofulous tendency. Then, too, we see 
children of delicate build, bright, shining eyes, quick 
and eager, of handsome feature, w T ith a delicate blush 
on their cheeks, and surrounding skin almost waxy it is 
so delicate. These features we often fear may suggest 
the tendency to tuberculosis. Coarse features, thick 



298 RUJ.ES FOR NURSING OP SICK CHILDREN. 

lips, and reddish hair may also be indicatory of the 
same disease. Pallor of the skin is significant of 
anaemia, and may arise from want of proper food, 
exercise, or inherited weakness. Sometimes there is a 
bronzed skin which is associated with the same diseases. 
Dark-complexioned children we perhaps wrongly con- 
sider will suffer from digestive and liver troubles, while 
with a blond complexion we are on the alert to recog- 
nize the incipient brain symptoms, and expect such 
children to show delirium from trivial ailments. 
Flushed cheeks are common in feverishness of all 
illnesses. In cerebral troubles we often have one or 
both cheeks of circumscribed redness. Flushing of the 
face, alternating with duskiness, is often seen in acute 
lung troubles. If there is more decided duskiness, even 
approaching blueness of the face and under the finger 
nails, we think of bronchitis and threatening collapse. 
We also see this latter manifestation in whooping cough 
during a paroxysm of coughing, but it passes off with 
the subsidence of the ' ' spell. " .Continued blue skin, as 
seen in "blue babies," indicates malformation of the 
heart. Sweating is common in many feverish states, 
and if warm is not a symptom causing the anxiety that 
cold, clammy perspiration does that is an attendant 
upon collapse or occurring during exhausting diseases. 
Scrofulous and rickety children usually perspire pro- 
fusely about the head and neck, especially during 
sleep. 

The Cries of Children. 

In sickness we can often interpret the meaning of 
the- cry, for by this method a child expresses a great 



RULES FOR NURSING OF SICK CHILDREN. 299 

deal ; it even seems to be their only language. To 
deduce a meaning from the crying of children requires 
close observation. With thoracic troubles in children, 
as pneumonia and pleurisy, they cry after any effort to 
cough. If expiration and inspiration are equal, we, 
as a rule, think there can exist no lung complication. 
However, this is not always true ; children cry pas- 
sionately when the pain is connected with digestive ail- 
ments, drawing up their knees and making all sorts of 
movements vainly trying to find ease. Children some- 
times cry after urination, due to passage of gravel or 
sand. We also notice that children having spinal 
disease cry when being lifted by the feet, as in the act 
of "changing. 55 In brain troubles we most generally 
hear a shrill, loud shriek, called the ' ' hydrocephalic 
cry," but the writer has known children to give just 
such shrieks when the brain was in normal condition, 
but there existed an inflammation of the ear. In 
croup the hoarse, metallic sound is pretty generally 
understood. The absence of crying is of graver 
import sometimes, for when a child is exhausted it 
becomes too feeble to utter a sound ; it only wrinkles 
its little face, but its lips utter no sound. 



CHAPTER XXXV. 
HYGIENIC CARE OP CHILDREN. 
Some Common Diseases. 

The human subject is provided with two sets of 
teeth in the course of life. The first set, consisting of 
twenty teeth, appear during the first two years after 
birth, and are known as the temporary, milk, or de- 
ciduous teeth. The second set, thirty-two in number, 
appear after the fifth year, and are called the permanent 
teeth. The teeth are generally cut in groups, each 
effort being followed by a short pause or period of rest. 
There is no absolute certainty as to the order of erup- 
tion of the teeth, although generally the following 
averages are the rule : — 

First, the two lower incisors appear between the 
fourth and eighth months after birth. 

Between the eighth and tenth months, the two 
upper central incisors, followed shortly by the two 
lateral incisors. 

Between the twelfth and fourteenth months, the 
two upper anterior molars, the two inferior lateral 
incisors, and the two lower anterior molars appear in 
the order mentioned. 

Between sixteenth and twenty-fourth months, the 
canine teeth (eye and stomach teeth) appear. 

Between the twentieth month and the end of the 
third year the four posterior molars appear. 



HYGIENIC CARE OF CHILDREN. 301 




Diagram showing the order of the Eruption of the Temporary Teeth. 

The temporary teeth drop out in about the same 
order as they appear. The roots begin to absorb first, 
and gradually the teeth are loosened and their places 
filled by the presence of the permanent teeth. The 
process of eruption of the teeth is usually in the order 
mentioned, but there are many variations from this rule. 
We see children who were born with one or more teeth ; 
they usually fall out, to be replaced at the proper age by 
well-formed milk teeth. Natal teeth are usually incisors. 
Some children cut their first teeth much younger than 
has been stated above as the rule. Girls are more apt 
to cut their teeth early than boys. Dentition may be 
delayed. Artificially fed babies, as a class, are more 
tardy in cutting their teeth than those reared at the 
breast. With such, though healthy in every respect, a 
delay of one or two months is a common and not at all 
serious event. On the contrary, whatever the method of 
feeding, if no teeth appear by the end of the first year, 
it may be assumed that the child's general nutrition is 
at fault, or that some disease of the bones is threatening, 
like rachitis. The teeth may appear out of their regu- 
lar order ; this may be the case especially in bottle-fed 
infants, which is of some importance as an evidence of 
general weakness, or it may be due entirely to a family 
peculiarity, and, as such, bears no special significance. 
Dentition has been looked upon as a time to be dreaded, 



302 HYGIENIC CARE OF CHILDREN. 

being held accountable, directly or indirectly, for nearly 
all the ills of infancy. At the present day, however, 
due to a better understanding of children's diseases, the 
symptoms occurring during the periods of dentition are 
traceable to other causes. It is a purely physiological 
process, and as such should not be a cause of sickness. 
Fever, restlessness, fretfulness, and disturbed sleep are 
the commonest manifestations of infantile derange- 
ments. Not unfrequently they are coincident with the 
eruption of a tooth or a group of teeth. Under such 
circumstances the general practitioner might connect 
the symptoms mentioned with the eruption of the teeth. 
If, however, this was the cause, one would expect these 
symptoms to continue throughout the process or occur 
at each teething time. Diarrhoea, so common during 
teething, is looked upon by some as beneficial to teething 
children, thereby relieving the brain from possible in- 
flammation. This is wrong. Many children are sacrificed, 
and usually through a belief in this erroneous doctrine. 
A perfectly well child should go through the teething 
process, as he does through any other period of develop- 
ment, without symptoms. The modern use of soothing 
syrups, rubbing the gums with laudanum or cocaine, and 
the unlimited and unwarrantable use of the lancet, are 
disastrous in the extreme. Healthy, vigorous, and nor- 
mally developed parents beget healthy children. Proper 
hygienic surroundings and care as to the diet will insure 
the child against most of the ills of the period of teeth- 
ing. Too much care cannot be bestowed on the nourish- 
ment of the child. Too often does the attributing of 
the symptoms coincident with teething lead to a fatal 
mistake, and the cause would be found if properly 



HYGIENIC CARE OF CHILDREN. 



303 



sought for, and found to arise from pneumonia, pleurisy, 
diphtheria, or some other serious malady. The perma- 
nent teeth erupt at the following periods, the teeth of 
the lower jaw preceding those of the upper, quite the 
same condition as with the temporary teeth. To accom- 
modate the increased number of teeth, the jaw increases 
in length. 

Sixth year 

Seventh year 



Eighth year 

Tenth year 

Eleventh year 

Twelfth to thirteenth year 

Twelfth to fifteenth year 

Seventeenth to twenty-first year, 



first molars, 
central incisors, 
lateral incisors, 
first bicuspids, 
second bicuspids, 
canines, 
second molars, 
wisdom teeth. 



The Care of the Teeth, Nails, and Hair. 

The cleansing of the teeth should begin with the 
appearance of the first tooth. Ordinarily, a soft cloth 
folded over the finger, dipped in cool water and thor- 
oughly rubbing the teeth, is sufficient to keep the 
first teeth clean. If, however, a thin green scum forms 
at the junction of the teeth and gum, a little chalk, 
charcoal, or pumice may be required. For this purpose 
a piece of wood may be employed to rub them with, 
first clipping in water, then allowing a little of the 
powder to adhere to the moistened end, care being 
taken not to injure the gums and cause them to bleed. 
Take good care of the milk teeth, for upon their integ- 
rity depends the regularity of shape of the permanent 
teeth. Never allow the first teeth to be extracted, 
for it may result in deformity of the jaw. A tooth- 



304 HYGIENIC CARE OF CHILDREN. 

brush can be used after a number of the milk teeth 
have been erupted. The brush, of course, should be 
small, and its bristles soft and fine, and it must be used 
with gentleness. No powder need be used, except 
under conditions mentioned above. The child should 
early learn to clean his own teeth. 

The hair should be well brushed, and the scalp 
thereby stimulated ; this will be enough to keep 
the hair moist and make unnecessary the use of oils, 
pomades, etc. Avoid the use of a fine-tooth comb. 
Occasionally washing the hair with soap and water, 
and drying thoroughly, is necessary. 

The toe nails should be carefully cut ; there is a 
right and a wrong way ; cut the nails straight across, 
without rounding the corners. Should the latter be done, 
the nail is liable to grow into the flesh, and cause the 
child years of suffering. The finger nails should not 
be allowed to grow too long, but care must be taken 
that they are not cut too close. 

Sore Byes, 

At a very early age, perhaps on the second or third 
day after birth, children are liable to have conjuncti- 
vitis, or sore eyes, an affection that may be of a mild 
type or a destructive inflammation. In either case it 
begins with a slight white discharge, which may grow 
more abundant in a very few hours. If the attack is 
mild, the discharge continues white and scanty in 
amount. Very frequently it does not remain so simple 
a trouble, and then the disease assumes a severe aspect, 
requiring prompt attention and the treatment of a skil- 
ful physician. Neglect has been followed by deplorable 



HYGIENIC CARE OF CHILDREN. 305 

results. It is estimated that a large majority of the 
inmates of our asylums for the blind are examples of 
the results of negligence or bad treatment of infants' 
sore eyes. This disease is very contagious, and there- 
fore great care should be taken that the cloths used to 
wipe away the secretions be burned immediately. The 
causes are infection from the discharges of the mother, 
exposure to too strong light, etc. Preventive measures 
should always be taken when the child is born. The 
eyes should be kept clean by removal of the discharge 
with a soft cloth or sponge. As the disease requires 
special medical care, no remedies will be here recom- 
mended. At the very outset call the attention of a 
physician to it, and insist that a very careful exami- 
nation be made of the condition of the eye structures. 
Many cases become hopeless through the carelessness of 
physicians as well as mothers. 

Colic. 

Nearly the first of the lighter ailments of infants is 
colic. It may be caused by errors of diet on the part 
of the mother, or the result of some mental or physical 
trouble of the mother. In artificially fed infants the 
food may be too rich, or it is otherwise unsuitable either 
in quantity or composition. Following an attack of 
colic, the bowels are likely to be relaxed, and the dis- 
charge " greenish" in color. 

Treatment. — Chamomilla. — Child wants to be 
carried ; face flushed ; one cheek white, the other pale ; 
draws up its legs when in pain, feet cold. 

Colocynthis. — Draws up its legs in pain, feet cold. 

Pulsatilla. — Shivering with rumbling of wind; 



306 HYGIENIC CARE OF CHILDREN. 

child is easier lying on its stomach ; face pale ; abdo- 
men sensitive to pressure. Light-haired children with 
blue eyes. 

Nux vomica. — Constipation, attendant colic. 

China. — Great distention of bowels, abdomen dis- 
tended and hard, more liable to occur towards even- 
ing. Crying at one time, then laughing. 

Ipecac. — Vomiting and diarrhoea, perspiration, face 
pale, pain severe. 

Coryza and Snuffles. 

Children sometimes refuse to nurse from their 
inability to breathe, because of obstructions in the nose 
due to a catarrhal secretion. Cleanse the nose care- 
fully, and if the mucus becomes encrusted, remove 
with the blunt end of a hairpin. 

Aconite. — If skin is hot, face flushed, extreme 
restlessness. 

Nux vomica. — If the discharge is free by day, and 
ceases at night, beginning again in the morning. 

Mercurius vivus. — Discharge thin at first, great 
sneezing, nose sore, or if the secretion becomes thick 
and yellowish. 

Euphrasia. — For sneezing, thin white discharge, 
eyes water a great deal. 

Tartar emetic. — Battling of mucus in the chest, 
worse at night, with running from the nose. 

Sore Mouth. 

This condition may be due to a simple disturbance of 
the stomach, from improper food, want of cleanliness. 
The mouth is at first dry, but soon there is an increase 



HYGIENIC CARE OF CHILDREN. 30T 

of saliva, and the child is unable to nurse, as the contact 
gives pain. There may be a white deposit or separated 
white spots on the inside of the cheeks resembling milk 
curds, or on the margins of the gums, and tongue. 
The child will be restless, irritable, and sleepless ; diar- 
rhoea. There are several forms of sore mouth besides 
the above. The aphthous sore mouth differs in the 
appearance of the mouth, and is recognized by the 
clean-cut ulcers which appear under the tongue and 
upon the edges of it, also on the under lip ; they are 
round, slightly raised, and have a yellow centre sur- 
rounded by a bright red ring. The latter affection is 
more likely to occur in children between the age of 
two and six years, while the former is often met with 
soon after its birth. Either condition may occur dur- 
ing the course of severe constitutional disease, or may 
result from easily removed causes. Treatment con- 
sists in perfect cleanliness of the mouth with water 
several times daily. Washing of the mouth should be 
a part of the first cleansing at birth. Correct any 
dietetic errors, if known to exist. Some one of the 
following remedies will be fouod useful : — 

Baptisia. — Sore mouth, aphthous variety, salivation. 

Mercurius vivas. — Increased secretion of saliva, 
diarrhoea, perspiration increased. 

Arsenicum. — Thirst for small quantities of water, 
restlessness, diarrhoea, ulcers look bluish in appearance. 
Prostration marked. 

Sore Throat. 

Infants occasionally are prevented from nursing by 
soreness of the throat. The disease may be produced 



308 HYGIENIC CARE OF CHILDREN. 

by exposure and changes of temperature, or the result 
of predisposition. The disease is recognized by inability 
to swallow. Children begin to nurse, and then, when 
swallowing, finding it gives pain, desist ; their cry is 
hoarse ; in the beginning, feverishness ; in some cases 
the disease is a precursor of scarlet fever or measles. 
The throat should always be examined whenever a 
child complains of sore throat or shows signs of painful 
swallowing. 

Two forms of sore throat only will here be consid- 
ered, namely, tonsillitis and pharyngitis. The former is 
recognized by the presence of round white spots on the 
tonsils ; these spots may be seen only on one, or both, or 
disappear from one only to appear on the other tonsil. 
Diphtheria is easily confounded with tonsillitis, but the 
spots in the former disease are larger, irregular, and look 
more like patches of wash-leather; then, too, the odor of 
diphtheria is characteristic. 

Pharyngitis is an inflammation of the membrane on 
the back surface of the throat. When inflammation 
attacks this place, the surface looks irregular, studded 
with elevated small bunches like a split pea, or a streak 
of redness with swelling like a whipcord. There may 
be fever as in all the throat affections, and increased 
mucous discharge. Prostration is common to all these 
affections. 

Aconite. — Is indicated for the feverish state with 
dry, hot skin, flushed face, extreme restlessness. 

Belladonna. — Flushed face, moist skin, skin hot, 
throat looks bright red. 

Lycopodium. — Right side worse ; appetite easily 
satisfied. 



HYGIENIC CARE OF CHILDREN. 309 

Lachesis. — Left side worse ; throat of a dusky hue ; 
always worse after sleeping. Throat sensitive to pres- 
sure on the outside. 

Constipation. 

Constipation in children is usually not a disease in 
itself, but a result of various causes. The normal 
number of discharges from the bowels each day varies 
with children ; for some, one is normal, others -having 
four or ^.ve movements daily. It is difficult, therefore, 
to estimate what constitutes constipation. It may be the 
cause of some serious abdominal troubles, but very 
rarely, however, and likewise it may be an accompani- 
ment of other diseases. Constipation may be recurrent, 
with regular remissions. Artificial foods are very liable 
to be the cause of constipation ; or neglect in establish- 
ing regularity. If the new-born infant has no passage 
very soon after its birth, examine carefully to see that no 
mechanical obstruction exists. If the child has painful 
evacuations, it will often resist the desire, and so 
aggravate the existing difficulty. If the child suffering 
from constipation is nursed, attention should be paid to 
the diet of the mother or wet nurse. If the infant is 
artificially fed, and its development is satisfactory, do 
not change the food, but administer one of the follow- 
ing remedies. Sometimes several injections of luke- 
warm water may be given, but not to be used too often 
or continuously day after day. Gentle kneading of the 
bowels is often beneficial. 

Bryonia. — If stools are hard, dry, and look burnt. 

Nux vomica. — Frequent desire, without accomplish- 
ing anything ; useful after allopathic remedies have 
been given. 



310 HYGIENIC CARE OF CHILDREN. 

Opium. — Stools are like sheep dung; great strain- 
ing. 

Antimony cruclum. — Tongue coated white; opera- 
tion very painful. 

These are only a few of the remedies that may be 
useful. Bear in mind always that all the symptoms are 
to be taken, and not to prescribe for one condition 
alone. 

Diarrhoea. 

Diarrhoea is the result of predisposition, improper 
food, or improper habits of feeding, unhealthy sur- 
roundings, excessive heat, fatigue, or dentition. The 
symptoms are well known, but it may be advisable to 
consider the difference between simple diarrhoea and 
the disease known as cholera infantum. Both have 
diarrhoea and vomiting, but with the former the disease 
is of shorter duration. In cholera infantum the child 
is more restless and overpowered by the disease, and 
chiefly by the character of the stools. In simple diar- 
rhoea the stools often contain undigested food, much 
gas, and the odor is very foul. In cholera infantum 
the first stools are pale green, yellow, or brownish, but 
soon become very frequent and lose all color, and look 
like thickened water. In acute dyspeptic diarrhoea the 
stools are not so frequent ; there is less fever and 
prostration. There may be vomiting in dyspeptic diar- 
rhoea, but always in cholera infantum. A dyspeptic 
diarrhoea may run in to cholera infantum if neglected. 

Treatment. — It is both general and medicinal. 
There are some points in the manner of feeding children 
in diarrhoea to which special attention should be paid. 



HYGIENIC CARE OF CHILDREN. 311 

If the stomach is very irritable, withhold food for some 
time, and then diminish the quantity and frequency. 
Always attend to every case of simple diarrhoea, and 
never allow it to become serious through negligence. 
If a diarrhoea becomes chronic, or cholera infantum 
does not readily yield to combined treatment, remove 
the patient to seashore or mountains. The change of 
air and motion of the cars or carriage are very beneficial. 
It is an admitted fact that the motion in riding is most 
salutary in cholera infantum. Many apparently hope- 
less cases have begun to improve during a journey in 
the cars. A very common error in the feeding of 
infants is the frequent changes of foods before suffi- 
cient time has elapsed to prove the wisdom of the 
change. During an attack of diarrhoea, whether in 
the simple form or the nature of cholera infantum, an 
attempt should be made to arrest all nervous excite- 
ment ; quiet and pure air are all essential. 

Medicinal Treatment. — One must recognize the 
characteristics in every case if possible. Recognize if 
there be pain or absence of pain before, during, or after 
stool ; character of the discharge ; color, odor, whether 
fecal or mucus. Try also to discover the exciting 
cause. 

Arsenic. — Brown or dark green stools, gradually 
becoming thin and watery ; exhausted after each stool ; 
thirst for small quantities of water, but wants a sip 
often ; burning sensation in the rectum after stool ; 
painless ; worse at night, especially after midnight ; 
diarrhoea caused by ice water or ice cream, cold milk ; 
vomiting, especially before stool ; great restlessness ; 
vomiting more after eating or drinking. The thirst and 



312 HYGIENIC CARE OF CHILDREN. 

marked restlessness are marked characteristics for 
Arsenicum. 

Antimony crudum. — Stool profuse, watery ; diar- 
rhoea alternates with constipation ; diarrhoea may be pro- 
duced by being overheated, and after bathing ; pains 
sharp and cutting ; rectum protrudes during stool ; 
children dislike being touched or even looked at ; 
tongue thickly coated white ; violent vomiting ; urine 
profuse. There is not the severe thirst as in Arseni- 
cum, but with the heavily coated tongue it is also a good 
guide. 

Aloes. — Stool yellow fecal ; bloody mucus, some- 
times greenish ; involuntary, especially when passing 
flatus or urine ; hunger with diarrhoea ; great pain, 
much flatus ; hemorrhoids, large and tender ; loud 
rumbling in abdomen. The character of the stools, 
the good appetite, and rumbling in the abdomen form 
a trio of symptoms indicatory of the remedy. 

Borax. — Stool light yellow or green ; slimy mucus 
or watery'; children dislike downward movement or 
rocking ; nursing sore mouth ; loss of appetite ; start- 
ing during sleep with screams, acting as if frightened ; 
skin pale. 

Chamomilla. — Stools look like chopped spinach, or 
green watery stool ; smell like bad eggs ; diarrhoea, 
especially during dentition ; child cross, and wants to 
be carried ; one cheek pale, the other flushed ; colic, 
retching ; child is peevish ; wants many things which 
are rejected when offered ; convulsions. This remedy is 
not indicated in long-standing cases, and often fails to 
complete the cure alone. 

China. — Stools yellow, watery ; blackish or dark, 



HYGIENIC CARE OF CHILDREN. 313 

watery, painless stools ; involuntary, worse after meals ; 
at night ; after severe illness ; worse every other day ; 
stools may be painful, but more often painless, with 
emission of large quantities of fetid flatus ; great de- 
bility ; sweats at night, and stools more frequent at 
night. 

Croton tig. — Stools yellow, watery, dark green, or 
tenacious mucus forcibly expelled ; coming out like a 
shot ; worse after eating, drinking, or nursing ; perspi- 
ration on the forehead ; nausea, with fainting ; nausea 
during sleep. The yellow stool, its forcible expulsion, 
and aggravation from drinking, eating, or nursing, are 
symptoms plainly calling for Croton tig. 

Gamboge. — -Stools thin, yellow, fecal, mixed with 
mucus ; offensive ; frequent ; quickly expelled with 
effort, however, straining may continue after expul- 
sion ; cutting pains ; nausea ; aphthous sore mouth : 
urine smells like onions ; exhaustion. 

Ipecac. — Stools green as grass ; bloody mucus, 
fermented ; worse at night, during dentition ; continued 
nausea and vomiting of green mucus in large quantity ; 
colic ; skin cold, clammy, and pale. 

Magnesium carb. — Stools green, watery, frothy, 
with green scum resembling that seen on a frog pond : 
bloody mucus ; pain pinching and cutting in character 
before stool ; thirsty. 

Mercurius viv. — Stools dark green, frothy ; mucus, 
streaked with blood ; stools are frequent, often scanty 
in amount, sour smelling ; diarrhoea worse at night ; 
during dentition ; violent urging before stool, and ' ' a 
never get done feeling" after stool ; much perspiration ; 
increased amount of saliva ; restless sleep. 



314 HYGIENIC CARE OF CHILDREN. 

Nux vomica. — Stools thin, brownish, small, offen- 
sive, and frequent ; suitable after children have had 
many strong drugs given ; acute pain and frequent 
urging. ' 

Podophyllum. — Stools thin, yellow, watery, pro- 
fuse ; rectum protrudes after stool ; gagging or empty 
retching ; the stools are very profuse, and, though fre- 
quent, there seems to be no limit to the supply. 

Pulsatilla. — Stools greenish, yellowish, mixed with 
blood ; involuntary (during sleep at night) ; indicated in 
diarrhoea caused by eating ice cream, fruit, and cold 
drinks ; constant spitting of cotton-like mucus ; vomit- 
ing, chilliness ; especially indicated in nightly diar- 
rhoea. 

Sulphur. — Stools watery, changeable, sudden ex- 
pulsion, and sometimes involuntary ; worse in early 
morning, during dentition ; desire sudden and violent ; 
children averse to washing. 

Veratrum album. — Stools greenish, watery, brown- 
ish, blackish, watery, frequent ; profuse ; violent thirst 
for very cold water and iced drinks ; violent vomiting, 
followed by extreme weakness, fainting ; pain is a 
marked characteristic of the remedy, and is colicky ; 
cold sweat on the forehead during stool. 

In administering a remedy for diarrhoea, it is best 
to give it immediately after each stool, or after vomit- 
ing, and to discontinue its administration as soon as 
improvement appears. The diet, as above stated, should 
be regulated. For children who are upwards of three 
years, mutton broth, juice of a rare roast, are excellent. 
It may be added, also, that for nursing infants, barley 
water and rennet are likewise beneficial. 



HYGIENIC CARE OF CHILDREN. 315 

Inflammation of the Foreskin. 

Both infants and children are liable to inflammation 
of the foreskin, which begins with swelling and redness 
of these tissues, attended with pain and soreness, espe- 
cially sore when passing water or from pressure. The 
cause is usually from want of cleanliness. The natural 
secretions become mixed with a few drops of the urine, 
and, becoming foul, poison the skin. Other causes 
are improper handling of the parts by the child's 
attendant, or pressure of clothing. In older children the 
irritation caused by this inflammation induces mastur- 
bation, or masturbation may be the cause of the inflam- 
mation. To relieve this affection the cause must be 
removed. If scrupulous cleanliness does not a^ail, a 
physician should be consulted, that more active meas- 
ures may be instituted. 

The Umbilicus, or Navel. 

After the cord has become detached and the depres- 
sion healed, care should be taken that light pressure be 
exerted by means of a small pad of linen for a few 
days. From prolonged crying, sometimes a hernia 
(rupture) forms, characterized by a swelling which fluc- 
tuates with the breathing or during a crying spell. A 
simple truss will retain the protrusion, if worn con- 
stantly. 

Hemorrhage sometimes occurs after separation of 
the cord, and may prove fatal if profuse ; slight 
bleeding is easily controlled, but should be watched. 
When it is profuse, pinch up the navel between the 
fingers, and by this pressure you control the bleeding. 
Send for a physician at once. 



316 HYGIENIC CARE OF CHILDREN. 

Unhealthy Growths. — A few weeks after the navel 
is apparently healed, unhealthy growths may show 
themselves, usually a soft rounded mass, and unless 
removed will continue growing in size, emitting a 
hloocly discharge which causes the surrounding tissues 
to inflame, and may affect the entire navel. Consult a 
physician that he may advise what ought to be done. 

Excoriation, or Chafing. 

The folds of skin about the neck, under the arms, 
and in the groins often become sore, due in some cases 
to want of care. Avoid using too much soap at all 
times, and where the child is chafed use none ; 
lukewarm water alone for bathing the parts, and dry 
without rubbing. It will be observed that this trouble 
will be most likely to show itself when the child is not 
quite well, and should be treated as a symptom to be 
relieved by internal medication. Attention has been 
called to the use of toilet powders in another chapter. 

Chamomilla, Mercurius, and Sulphur are the usual 
remedies, one of which will usually suffice. 

Crying. 

Prolonged crying of infants usually indicates pain, 
and the cause should be discovered, if possible ; it may 
arise from too tight abdominal bands or other clothing ; 
see that no pins are sticking into the flesh, or that 
there is no intestinal irritation. Sometimes the cause is 
not apparent. Under no circumstances should the 
child be given any preparation of opium ; soothing 
syrups contain opium, and have been the cause of many 
deaths by being administered. Irresponsible nurses 



HYGIENIC CARE OF CHILDREN. 317 

often give infants some of these preparations on the 
sly. Infants cry when hungry or need changing, or 
from lying too long in one position ; therefore all these - 
things should be taken into account before considering 
the necessity of medicinal treatment. Learn to inter- 
pret the cries of children. A little observation will 
soon teach one to distinguish, fairly accurately, the 
meaning of the different cries of infants. If, how- 
ever, no apparent cause is found for continued crying, 
Belladonna may bring rest, if the child starts suddenly 
out of sleep and screams, or child seems sleepy yet 
cannot sleep. 

Coffea. — For restlessness, with crying. 

Nux vomica. — Will prove efficacious for earache, 
which often is the cause of sleeplessness and crying. 

Hiccough. 

Hiccough is a very common trouble in childhood, 
and if prolonged' causes great uneasiness, both to 
mother and child. Exposure of the body in part or 
whole to the air, even in a warm room or undressing 
the child, may cause it. Generally, wrapping up the 
child and a few teaspoonfuls of hot water are sufficient 
to stop the trouble ; if not, and it is prolonged, a few 
doses of Nux vomica or Pulsatilla will suffice. 

Crusts on the Head. 

A scurf or yellowish crust may form on the head of 
infants, and if it continues emits a foul smell ; it usually 
arises from want of cleanliness, or too much irritation 
of the scalp by combing, or from keeping the head too 
warm. If the head is washed regularly every morning 



318 HYGIENIC CARE OF CHILDREN. 

and properly dried, then brushed with a soft hair brush, 
these crusts will seldom form, unless there be some 
digestive trouble due to improper feeding, or an hered- 
itary humor is in the child's system. Never remove the 
scales or crusts forcibly ; wash the scalp . thoroughly 
with warm water, then dry with a towel, and anoint 
the spot or spots with sweet oil, which will soften them, 
and then they can be removed ; this will have to be 
repeated probably from time to time. If the attention 
to bathing or diet does not improve the condition, give 
Sulphur, Mercurius viv., or Calcarea carbonica inter- 
nally. If the child shows that there is itching of the 
scalp, and any eruption appears on the forehead or face, 
it is better to consult a physician, that proper medicinal 
treatment may be instituted. Under no circumstances 
use medicinal preparations externally. The favorite 
remedy with old-school physicians is lead ointment, 
which dries the skin and repels the humor, but it never 
cures, and may cause other diseases ' more to be feared 
than the annoyance and disfigurement of the eruption 
on the skin, which can be cured forever by the use of 
the homoeopathic remedy indicated in each case. 

Spasms or Convulsions. 

Spasms in children are generally due to some irrita- 
tion in the stomach or intestines, or to teething or re- 
pelled eruptions ; they may be due to brain or kidney 
disease. The eyes are fixed or quiet ; portions or the 
whole of the body only may be convulsed at once ; 
apply cold to the head, and benefit is derived from put- 
ting the feet and legs in hot water, or the whole body 
may be immersed in a warm bath until the spasm has 



HYGIENIC CARE OF CHILDREN. 319 

partially subsided, then removed and wrapped warmly 
in blankets. At once send for a physician, but if not 
at hand, or before he arrives, the above treatment 
should be followed. 

. Retention of Urine or Feces. 

Infants frequently do not pass urine for several 
hours after birth ; sometimes not for days. This should 
always receive attention, and if no urine is passed after 
several hours, place a hot cloth or sponge, wrung out of 
hot water, on the bladder, or put the child in a hot bath. 
If these measures are not effective, the attention of the 
physician should be called to the matter. Sometimes 
some physical malformation is the cause, and therefore 
calls for different treatment. The same condition may 
also prevail in the bowels, and unless there is an evacu- 
ation after the lapse of twenty-four hours an examination 
should be made. If there is known to be some irritat- 
ing substance in bowels, or constipation is the probable 
cause, give an injection of tepid water. 

Chamomilla. — Is indicated in convulsions, with jerk- 
ing of the limbs and twitching of the muscles of the 
face and eyelids, and rolling of the head from side to 
side; one cheek red, the other pale. 

Ipecacuanha. — Convulsions accompanied by nausea, 
retching, and vomiting or diarrhoea. 

Cina. — Delicate children, when troubled with worms, 
itching of the nose and anus. 

Merc, vivus. — Convulsions caused by worms ; abdo- 
men distended, increase of saliva in the mouth. 

Opium, Hyosciamus, and Stramonium. — For con- 
vulsions caused by fright. 



320 HYGIENIC CARE OF CHILDREN. 

Sulphur, Bryonia, and Cuprum. — For convulsions 
caused by repelled eruptions. 

Observations and Suggestions. 

From infancy to puberty, parents should be ever 
watchful of their children's movements arid postures. 
Many progressive diseases might be checked if the ini- 
tial symptoms were recognized. Hip joint disease, for 
example, is often months in developing, yet how many 
parents remember, when their attention is called to the 
fact by questioning, that their child has shown a slight 
limping when walking, not perceptible at all times, or 
the child was clumsy in stepping, or tripped easily if 
any slight obstruction was in the way, or the child does 
not put both feet on the ground evenly, and when 
standing elevates the heel. Watch carefully a child 
that complains of pain either in the hip or thigh, 
especially if the pain occurs more often at night. One 
hand may show signs of contraction. The spine also 
should be watched that any deviation from side to side 
may be early recognized. It is not the place here to 
point out what these deviations signify if they exist, 
but merely to put parents on their guard that they 
may intelligently watch the progress of their children, 
that any departure from a state of normal growth may 
be attended. to early. 



CHAPTER XXXVI. 

MATERIA MEDICA. 

1, Aconite. 

Acute local inflammations ; active, sanguineous 
congestions ; evil consequences of a chill in a dry, 
cold air ; affections in consequence of fright or of 
anger ; measles ; erysipelatous inflammations ; inflam- 
matory fevers, even with bilious or nervous symp- 
toms ; mental alienations, with fixed ideas of ap- 
proaching death ; cerebral congestion, with dizziness ; 
croup, first period ; whooping cough, first period. 

General Symptoms. — Shooting pains, or rheu- 
matic, which are renewed by wine, or other heating 
articles ; sufferings which, particularly at night, seem 
insupportable ; attacks of pain, with thirst and red- 
ness of the cheeks ; uneasiness, as if in consequence 
of suppressed perspiration, or in consequence of a 
chill ; great restlessness. 

Skin. Skin dry and burning ; scarlet rash ; 
measles ; nettle rash. 

Sleep. Sleeplessness, from anxiety, with constant 
agitation and tossing ; starting in sleep. 

Fever. Dry, burning heat with extreme thirst, 
sometimes, especially at the beginning of the disease, 
preceded by shiverings with trembling ; heat, chiefly 
of the head and face, with redness of the cheeks, 
shuddering over the entire body ; shivering for the 



322 MATERIA MEDIC A. 

short time that they may be uncovered during the 
heat ; pulse hard, frequent, and accelerated. 

Moral Symptoms. Great agitation and boasting, 
with anguish, discouragement that cannot be con- 
soled ; cries, tears, groans, complaints, and reproaches ; 
apprehensions and fear of approaching death ; a great 
disposition to be angry, to be frightened ; alternate 
paroxysms of laughter and tears ; inquietude under 
disease, and despair respecting a cure ; delirium, 
chiefly at night. 

Head. Weight and fulness in the forehead and 
temples, with pressing outward, as if everything was 
going to issue through them ; congestion of blood to 
the head ; aggravation of the pains in the head by 
movement, by speaking, by rising from a recumbent 
position, and by drinking ; amendment in the open air. 

Eyes. Eyes red and inflamed, with deep redness 
of the vessels and intolerable pain. 

Nose. Bleeding from the nose. 

Face. Eed spots on both cheeks. 

Throat. Pain in the throat, with deep redness of 
the parts affected, and difficult deglutition ; burning 
and pricking in the throat, chiefly when swallowing. 

Stomach. Sensation of swelling, tension, and pres- 
sure, as from a weight in the precordial region and 
in the stomach. 

Abdomen. Tension and pressure in the hypochon- 
driac region ; pressure in the hepatic region ; painful 
sensitiveness of the abdomen to the touch, and to 
the least movement. 

Stool. Loose, watery stools ; white stools, with 
red urine. 



MATERIA MEDIC A. 323 

Urine. Urine scanty, burning, dark red, and with 
a brick-colored sediment. 

Larynx. A constant desire to cough, produced by 
an irritation or a tickling in the larynx ; short and 
dry cough, principally at night ; spitting of blood, 
with the cough ; shootings and pains in the chest 
when coughing. 

Chest. Short breathing, chiefly during sleep, and 
on getting up ; breathing difficult, anxious, and 
attended with groans and painful stitches in the 
chest, chiefly when breathing, coughing, and moving ; 
stitches in the side ; palpitation of the heart, with 
great anxiety. 

Trunk. Painful stiffness in the nape of the neck. 

2. ^3sculus Hippocastanum. 

The following is an extract from Dr. E. M. Hale's 
" Materia Medica of the New Eemedies'' : — 

General Symptoms. — Feeling of extreme illness ; 
fatigued feeling ; sleeps sound, but too heavily. 

Head. Confusion in the head, with throbbing ; 
heaviness and pain all over the head. 

Stomach and Abdomen. Burning distress in 
stomach ; retching, nausea ; constant urging to stool, 
with itching and raw feeling in anus ; appearance of 
hemorrhoids, like groundnuts, of a purple color, very 
painful, and with a sensation of burning. 

3. Apis Mellifica. 
General Symptoms. — General feeling of lassitude, 
with trembling ; sudden prostration of the vital force, 
vomiting, diarrhoea, cold extremities, paleness of face, 
and feebleness of pulse. 



324 MATERIA MEDICA. 

Skin. Eruption like nettle rash, with burning and 
itching ; blotches on the body and back of the hands ; 
large, hard elevations, like mosquito bites, upon the 
back and legs, with stinging, itching, and burning ; 
furuncles and large swellings, with stinging pains ; 
oedematous swelling of the extremities. Pains like 
bee stings. 

Moral Symptoms. Irritable disposition ; unfitness 
for mental exertion ; dread of death ; feels as if he 
should not be able to breathe again. 

Head. Oppressive headache when in warm room 
and reading. 

Eyes. Burning, stinging, itching in the eye, eye- 
lids, with swelling and pricking sensation as if from 
a foreign body ; smoky opacity of the cornea, with al- 
most entire loss of sight. 

Face. Burning, biting, stinging heat, with a 
purplish hue ; erysipelas on cheek and nose ; swelling 
under the eye. 

Mouth and Throat. Scalding of the mouth and 
throat ; feeling of contraction in the throat, with diffi- 
cult deglutition ; tongue feels as if burnt (glossitis). 

Stomach. Violent eructations ; nausea and inclina- 
tion to vomit, with rumbling in the abdomen, and 
threatening diarrhoea. 

Abdominal Region. Sickly feeling ; dull pain and 
soreness of the bowels when sneezing or pressing 
upon them ; enlargement of the abdomen, with swell- 
ing of the feet, and scanty urine. 

Fceces. Frequent yellow, watery evacuations ; 
painful diarrhoea. 

Anus. Hemorrhoids, with constipation ; biting, 
boring, stinging pain ; urging to stool. 



MATERIA MEDIC A. 325 

Urine. Scanty, with burning pain ; highly col- 
ored. 

Menstruation. Profuse, with faintness ; ovaritis 
(ovarian dropsy?). 

4. Arnica. 

Affections in consequence of mechanical injuries 
(falls, commotion, blows, etc.) ; wounds, principally 
those inflicted by blunt instruments ; bites ; exco- 
riation of bedridden patients ; bruises, dislocations, 
sprains, and fractures ; accidents resulting from a 
sprain ; stings of insects ; corns, by an external appli- 
cation of it, after having pared them. 

General Symptoms. — Pains, as from dislocation ; 
fainting fit, with loss of consciousness, in consequence 
of mechanical injuries ; paralytic state on left side, 
in consequence of apoplexy. 

Shin. Eed, bluish, and yellowish spots, as if from 
contusions. 

Head. Whirling giddiness, with obscuration of the 
eyes, chiefly when getting up, moving the head, or 
walking. 

Eyes. Pain like excoriation in the eyes and eye- 
lids, with difficulty of moving them. 

Stomach. Vomiting of dark, coagulated blood. 

Abdomen. Pain, as from contusion in the sides. 

Urinary Passages. Involuntary emission of urine ; 
urine of a brownish red, with brick- colored sediment. 

Respiratory Organs. Cough, with expectoration of 
blood ; even without cough, expectoration of black, 
coagulated blood after every corporeal effort. 

Chest. Respiration short, panting, difficult, and 



326 MATERIA MEDIC A. 

anxious ; shootings in the chest and sides, with diffi- 
culty of respiration, aggravated by coughing, breathing 
deeply, and by movement ; pain as of a bruise, and of 
compression of the chest. 

Trunk. Pains, as from a bruise, and dislocation in 
the back, in the chest, and in the loins. 

Arms. Pain, as of dislocation in the joints of the 
arms and hands ; want of strength in the hands on 
seizing anything. 

Legs. Pains, as if from fatigue or from disloca- 
tion ; tension in the knee, as if from contraction of the 
tendons ; inflammatory, erysipelatous swelling of the 
feet, with pain, and aggravation of the pain by move- 
ment ; hot, painful, hard, and shining swelling of the 
great toes. 

Generalities. Grive Arnica after falls or bruises. 

5. Argentum Nitricum. 

Head. Vertigo, with headache on waking, and 
pains in the back part of neck and head. 

Spine. Back of occiput to lower vertebrae, rheu- 
matic, drawing, and acute pain ; forces one to lie down. 

6. Arsenic?. 

General Symptoms. — Burning, chiefly in the in- 
terior of the parts affected, or sharp and drawing 
pains ; nocturnal pains, so unbearable that they excite 
despair and fury ; aggravation of suffering in the even- 
ing in bed, on lying on the part affected, or during 
repose ; mitigation by external heat and ^movement of 
the body ; want of strength, excessive weakness, and 
complete asthenia, even to prostration. 



MATERIA MEDICA. 327 

Skin. Skin dry as parchment, or cold and bluish ; 
ulcers with raised and hard edges ; fetid smell, ichorous 
suppuration, ready bleeding, putridity, and bluish or 
greenish color of the ulcers. 

Sleep. Nocturnal sleeplessness, with agitation and 
constant tossing. 

Fever. Coldness over the whole body, sometimes 
with cold and clammy sweat ; pulse irregular, or 
quick, weak, small, and frequent, or suppressed and 
trembling. 

Moral Symptoms. Anxiety, inquietude, and exces- 
sive anguish, principally in the evening in bed. 

Face. Face pale, hollow, and cadaverous ; lips 
bluish or black, dry and chapped. 

Mouth. Offensive smell from the mouth ; tongue 
brownish or blackish, dry, cracked, and trembling ; 
ulceration of the tongue on the anterior edge ; thrush 
of *the mouth. 

Throat. Inflammation and gangrene of the throat. 

Appetite. Violent burning, choking, and unquench- 
able thirst, with inclination to drink constantly, but 
little at a time ; want of appetite. 

Stomach. Vomitings after drinking and eating ; 
vomiting of mucous, bilious, or serous matter of a 
yellowish, greenish, brownish, or blackish color ; burn- 
ing internal heat, diarrhoea, and fear of death ; exces- 
sive pain in the epigastrium, chiefly when touched ; 
insupportable heat and burning in the precordial region, 
and in the stomach. 

Abdominal Region. Swelling of the abdomen, as 
in ascites ; violent cutting pains, cramp-like pains in 
the abdomen ; colic, chiefly after eating and drinking, 



328 MATERIA MEDIC A. 

or in the night, and often accompanied with vomiting 
or diarrhoea, with coldness, internal heat, or cold sweat. 

Fceces. Violent diarrhoea, of greenish, yellowish, 
whitish color, or brownish and blackish ; burning in 
the rectum and in the anus. 

Larynx. Dry cough, in the evening after lying 
down, with a wish to rise ; also, after drinking, 
with difficulty of respiration. 

Chest. Breathing short ; difficult, stifling dyspnoea, 
and attacks of suffocation, sometimes with cold sweat ; 
spasmodic constriction of the chest or of the larynx, 
anguish, great weakness, coldness of the body, pain 
in the pit of the stomach, and paroxysms of cough ; 
oppression of the chest when coughing, when walk- 
ing, and when going upstairs ; violent and insup- 
portable throbbings of the heart, chiefly when lying 
on the back, and especially at night. 

7. Baptisia Tinctoria. 

General Symptoms. — Great prostration of the 
whole system, with frightful, uneasy dreams ; con- 
fused feeling in the head ; does not know where he 
is, does not know how he is. 

Ears. Does not hear well ; dull roaring in the 
ears. 

Mouth, Tongue, and Throat. Ulcerated sore throat, 
tonsils, and pharynx; assuming a putrid character, 
with a fetid breath and clouded sensorium. 

8. Belladonna. 

General Symptoms. — The least contact, and some- 
times, also, the slightest movement, aggravates the 



MATERIA MEDICA. 329 

sufferings ; dread of every movement, and of all 
exertion ; over-excitement, and too great sensibility 
of all the organs. 

Skin. Swelling, with heat and scarlet redness of 
the whole body, or of several parts, chiefly the face, 
the neck, the abdomen, and the hands ; red, hot, 
and shining swelling of the diseased parts. 

Sleep. Constant desire to sleep ; nocturnal sleep- 
lessness in consequence of excessive anguish or great 
agitation ; when sleeping, frequent starts, with fright, 
groans, cries ; on waking, headache, and aggravation 
of sufferings. 

Fever. Dry, burning heat ; pulse strong and 
quick, or full and slow, or small and slow, or small 
and quick, or hard and tense ; sweat of the parts 
that are covered only. 

Head. Fulness, heaviness, and violent pressure 
on the head as if going to burst, with desire to lie 
down ; dartings into the head as if from knives ; strong- 
pulsation of the arteries of the head ; bending the 
head backward ; boring with the head into the pillow 
while sleeping. 

Eyes. Aching pains in the eyes and the sockets, 
extending into the head ; inflammation of the eyes, 
with injection of the vessels ; dread of light. 

Ears. Piercing pressure, sharp pain, pinching, 
squeezing, and shooting in the ears ; swelling of the 
parotids. 

Face. Face pale, sometimes suddenly alternating 
with red ; burning heat of the face ; dark, or scarlet, 
or bluish redness of the face ; swelling of the sub- 
maxillary glands, and those of the neck. 



330 MATERIA MEDICA. 

Mouth. Sensation of great dryness, or actual 
and excessive dryness and choking in the mouth ; 
tongue red, hot, shining, dry, and cracked, or loaded 
with whitish mucous ; redness of the edges of the 
tongue ; paralytic weakness of the tongue, with diffi- 
cult and stammering speech. 

Throat. Excoriating, scraping, and shooting pains 
in the throat and in the tonsils, principally when 
swallowing ; inflammation and swelling of the throat, 
of the velum palati, of the uvula, and of the tonsils ; 
suppuration of the tonsils ; complete inability to 
swallow, even the least liquid, which frequently is 
forced out through the nostrils ; sensation of choking, 
and spasmodic constriction in the throat. 

Abdominal Region. Cramp-like, contractive, and 
constrictive pains in the abdomen, and especially 
around the navel, with a sensation as if the parts 
were squeezed or seized with the nails ; the pains 
force one to bend himself, and are accompanied by 
vomiting, or by inflation and protrusion of the trans- 
verse colon in the form of a pad ; soreness of the 
whole abdomen, as if everything in it were ex- 
coriated. 

Urine. Frequent discharges of urine, copious, pale, 
and watery ; difficulty of retention and involuntary 
emission of urine. 

Genital Organs. Violent pressure toward the gen- 
ital parts, as if all were going to fall downward, princi- 
pally when walking or sitting upright ; menses too 
copious and too early. 

Larynx. Loss of voice ; cough chiefly at night, or 
in the afternoon, in the evening in bed. mostly dry, 



MATERIA MEDIC A. 331 

short, and sometimes convulsive ; when coughing, cut- 
ting in the abdomen ; the least movement, when in 
bed at night, renews the cough. 

Chest. Oppression of the chest, difficult respiration, 
dyspnoea, and short breath, sometimes with anxiety ; 
respiration short, anxious, and rapid ; pressure on the 
chest. 

Trunk. Painful swelling, and stiffness of the neck 
and the nape. 

9- Bryonia. 

Rheumatic and arthritic affections, even with in- 
flammatory fever and swelling ; local inflammations ; 
inflammatory fevers, with nervous, gastric, or bilious 
affection, and strong excitement of the sanguineous and 
nervous system. 

General Symptoms. — Tension, drawing pains, acute 
drawings, and stinging, especially in the limbs, and 
chiefly daring movement, with insupportable pains on 
being touched ; red, shining swelling of some parts of 
the body ; aggravation of the pains and sufferings at 
night, and from movement ; amelioration during re- 
pose ; desire to remain in a recumbent posture. 

Sleep. Restlessness, especially before midnight, 
caused by heat, agitation of blood, and anxiety ; sleep 
disturbed by thirst, with bitter taste in the mouth when 
waking ; inability to remain lying on the right side. 

Fever. Cold and shivering of the body, even in 
bed, accompanied by pains in all the limbs ; shiverings ; 
with trembling, often with heat in the head, redness 
of the face, and thirst ; before the shiverings, vertigo 
and headache ; universal dry heat, external and inter- 
nal, almost always with a great desire for cold drinks. 



332 MATERIA MEDICA. 

Head. Great fulness and heaviness of the head, 
with raking pressure toward the forehead, and, when 
stooping, a sensation as if everything were going to fall 
out through the forehead ; headache aggravated by 
movement. 

Nose. Swelling of the nose ; frequent bleeding of 
the nose, sometimes in the morning, or when the 
menses are suppressed, or even when sleeping. 

Teeth. Toothache, with desire to lie down ; miti- 
gated by lying on the parts affected ; jerking, drawing 
toothache, with a sensation as if the teeth were too 
long, or loose. 

Mouth. Dryness of the mouth, with burning thirst ; 
tongue dry, loaded with a white, dirty, or yellow 
coating. 

Appetite. Bitter taste in the morning ; repugnance 
and disgust for food. 

Stomach. Nausea and desire to vomit, especially 
after eating ; vomiting as soon as one has drank and 
especially on drinking after a meal ; shootings in the 
stomach during movement ; burning in the pit of the 
stomach. 

Abdominal Region. Pains in the liver, when 
touched, on breathing or coughing ; cramp-like pains, 
or cuttings and shootings in the abdomen. 

Faeces. Constipation ; diarrhoea in the summer. 

Urine. Urine scanty, reddish, brownish, and hot. 

Genital Organs. Menses suppressed ; metrorrhagia 
of a deep-red blood, with pain in the loins and in the 
head ; swelling of the labium, with a black and hard 
pustule. 

Larynx. Cough, mostly dry, excited by a tickling 



MATERIA MEDICA. 333 

in the throat : cramp-like, suffocating cough, after 
having eaten or drank, and often with vomiting of 
food : cough, with stinging in the sides of the chest, 
or with aching j)ains in the head, as if it were going to 
split : cough, with expectoration of mucus of a dirty. 
reddish color. 

Chest. Bespiration impeded by stinging in the 
chest, stingings in the chest and in the sides, es- 
pecially when coughing or breathing deeply, allowing 
one to lie only on the back, and aggravated by any 
movement whatever ; heat and burning pain in the 
chest, with anxiety and tightness : beatings of the 
heart, frequently very violent, with oppression. 

Trunk. Pains in the loins, like a painful weight ; 
shootings in the loins and in the back, aggravated by 
cough and respiration ; rheumatic heaviness aud ten- 
sion in the nape of the neck and in the neck. 
* Arms. Tractive pains in the joints of the shoulders 
and the arms, with tension, stinging, and shining, 
red swelling ; pain of dislocation in the joints of the 
hands on moving them. 

Legs. Drawing pains in the thighs : swelling of 
the legs, extending to the feet : pain, as of dislocation, 
in the foot, when walking. 

10. Cactus Grandiflorus. 

Head. Vertigo, with congestion, from overaction 
of the heart : 

Eyes. With dimness of sight : 

Ears. Humming and pulsating ; 

Nose. Bleeding of the nose : 

Throat. Constriction of the throat : and 



334 MATERIA MEDIC A. 

Chest. Impeding respiration ; stitches in the 
region of the heart, with feeling of compressions ; 
region of the heart feels too large, and as though it 
were grasped by a hand of iron ; feels worse lying 
on left side. 

11. Calcarea Carbonica. 

Muscular weakness, difficulty of learning to walk, 
atrophy and other sufferings of scrofulous children ; 
rickety affections ; difficult dentition in children. 

General Symptoms. — Agitation of blood, mostly 
in plethoric individuals, often in the head and in 
the chest ; epileptic convulsions, with cries ; the 
symptoms are aggravated after washing and laboring 
in the water, in the evening, after a meal, and every 
second day. 

Skin. Nettle rash, chiefly disappearing in the 
fresh air ; swelling and induration of the glands, 
with or without pain. 

Fever. Excessive internal coldness ; frequent 
attacks of transient heat, with anguish and beating 
of the heart. 

Moral Symptoms. Melancholy, and disposition to 
weep and to be frightened. 

Head. Piercing in the forehead as if the head 
were going to burst, hammering pains in the head 
after a walk in the open air ; icy coldness in and 
on the head ; falling off of the hair ; tumors in the 
hairy scalp. 

Eyes. Ulcers, spots, and opacity of cornea ; red 
and thick swelling of the eyelids. 

Ears. Purulent discharge from the ears ; polypus 



MATERIA MEDIC A. 335 

in the ears ; cracking in the ears, when swallowing 
and chewing ; hardness of hearing : inflammatory 
swelling of the parotids. 

Face. Swelling of the upper lip ; painful swelling 
of the submaxillary glands. 

Stomach. Kegurgitation of sour substances ; sour 
vomitings. 

Abdominal Region. Swelling and induration of 
the mesenteric glands ; enlargement and hardness of 
the abdomen. 

Faeces. Evacuations like clay ; diarrhoea during 
dentition, of a sour smell, fetid, or yellowish, in 
infants. 

Genital Organs. Menses premature and too 
copious. 

Larynx. Cough at night, violent and dry, some- 
times even spasmodic. 

Chest. Pain as from excoriation in the chest, 
especially on breathing and being touched ; palpitation 
of the heart. 

Trunk. Hard and painful swelling of the glands of 
the neck. 

12. Carbo Vegetabilis. 

Evil effects from the abuse of mercury, or of cin- 
chona ; sufferings caused by warm and damp weather ; 
sensibility to changes of weather ; intermittent fevers, 
even those which the abuse of cinchona has rendered 
obstinate ; Asiatic cholera, with total absence of pulse, 
etc. 

General Symptoms. — Burning pains in the limbs 
and in the back ; the majority of symptoms appear 



336 MATERIA MEDICA. 

while walking in the open air; soreness of all the limbs, 
especially in the morning, when one has just risen ; 
sudden prostration of the physical powers ; liability to 
take cold. 

Fever. Shivering and coldness in the body ; cold 
sweat on the limbs and face. 

Moral Symptoms. Inquietude and anxiety, es- 
pecially in the evening. 

Throat. Scraping and burning pain in the throat, 
the palate, and the gullet. 

Stomach. Rising of fat food ; sour risings after a 
meal. 

Fceces. Evacuations liquid, pale, or mucous ; invol- 
untary evacuation. 

Urine. Diminution of the secretion of urine. 

Larynx. In the morning and in the evening, 
hoarseness, aggravated by prolonged conversation, and 
chiefly in cold and damp weather. 

Chest. Dyspnoea on walking ; pain as from excori- 
ation of the chest. 

Trunk. Eheumatic, drawing pains, acute pulling 
and shootings in the back, the nape of the neck, and 
the muscles of the neck. 

Arms. Pullings, and acute drawing pains in the 
forearms, the wrists, and the fingers ; paralytic weak- 
ness of the wrists and of the fingers. 

Legs. Drawing, and paralytic pains in the legs : 
cramps in the legs, and in the soles of the feet. 

13. Chamomile. 

Bad effects from the abuse of coffee and of narcotic 
palliatives ; suffering in consequence of a chill ; affec- 



MATERIA MEDICA. 337 

tions arising from sudden grief, or a fit of passion ; 
convulsive and spasmodic attacks ; excoriation of the 
skin ; disposition for every wound to ulcerate ; bilious 
and gastric affections ; excoriation of the nipples ; 
erysipelas on the breasts ; catarrhal cough, with 
hoarseness, chiefly in children. 

General Symptoms. — Rheumatic, drawing pains, 
chiefly at night in bed ; pains with thirst, heat, and 
redness of one of the cheeks ; over-excitement, and 
excessive sensibility of the nervous system, with great 
sensibility to pain. 

Sleep. Nocturnal sleeplessness ; when sleeping, 
starts with fright, cries, tossing, tears, talking. 

Fever. Burning heat and redness (often only in 
one) of the cheeks, chiefly at night, with groaning, 
tossing. 

Moral Symptoms. Disposition to weep and to be 
angry, with great sensibility to offence ; quarrelsome 
and choleric humor. 

Head. Headache on waking in the morning, or 
while asleep. 

Eyes. Eyes inflamed and red, with pressive pains, 
chiefly on moving the eyes and on shaking the head ; 
blearedness in the eyes, and nocturnal agglutination. 

Ears. Shootings extending into the ears, with dis- 
position to be angry at trifles ; buzzing in the ears ; 
inflammatory swelling of the parotids, as well as of the 
submaxillary glands and those of the neck. 

Face. Face hot, red, burning, or redness and 
heat of one cheek, with coldness and paleness of the 
other. 

Teeth. Toothache, mostly of one side, and chiefly 



338 MATERIA MEDICA. 

at night, in the heat of the bed, with insupportable 
pains, which almost drive one to despair, frequently 
after eating anything hot (or cold), and chiefly 
after having taken coffee. 

Throat. Sore throat ; deep redness of the parts 
affected. 

Appetite. Bitter taste in the mouth, and of food ; 
excessive thirst for cold drinks. 

Stomach. Bitter, bilious vomiting. 

Abdominal Region. Flatulent colic, with inflation 
of the abdomen ; excessively painful colic, pullirigs 
and cuttings in the abdomen. 

Anus and Rectum. Diarrhoea at night, with slimy 
or greenish faeces, or mucus. 

Larynx. Dry cough, produced by constant titil- 
lation in the larynx ; anger excites cough (in children). 

Chest. Attacks of flatulent asthma, with anxiety 
and fulness in the precordial region. 

Legs. Cramps in the calves of the legs, chiefly 
at night. 

14. China. — Cinchona. 

General Symptoms. — Pains or sufferings, excited 
or aggravated by touch, at night, or after a meal ; 
great general weakness, with trembling ; great ten- 
dency to perspiration when moving and sleeping. 

Skin. Yellow color of the skin. 

Sleep. Painful, frightful dreams, which continue 
to produce agitation after waking. 

Fever. Shivermgs, with shuddering, or feverish 
trembling, commonly without thirst ; the thirst gener- 
ally takes place only before or after the shivermgs ; 



MATERIA MEDIC A. 339 

easy perspiration during sleep ; nocturnal debilitating 
sweats. 

Head. Headache as if from suppressed coryza ; 
pain as from a bruise in the brain ; pressive head- 
ache ; acute jerking or pressive pains in the head ; 
headache as if the head were going to burst ; con- 
gestion to the head ; sensibility of the exterior of 
the head, and even of the roots of the hair, when 
touched. 

Nose. Bleeding of the nose and of the mouth. 

Face. Complexion pale, earth-like, sometimes of a 
blackish yellow. 

Mouth. Tongue with a yellow or white coating. 

Appetite. Bitter taste of food and drink ; desire 
for a variety of food and for dainties, without know- 
ing exactly which ; great weakness of digestion. 

Stomach. Eructations, with taste of food ; pressure 
in the stomach, with cramp -like pains, especially 
after having eaten. 

Abdominal Region. Hardness and swelling of the 
liver ; swelling and hardness of the spleen ; piercing 
in the spleen ; dropsical swelling of the abdomen, 
with asthmatic sufferings and fatiguing cough. 

Faeces. Slimy, watery, yellowish, diarrhoea ; loose 
evacuations, with excretion of undigested food ; loose 
evacuations, chiefly after a meal or at night ; crawl- 
ing in the anus, as if from worms. 

Urine. Urine deep colored, with sediment like 
brickdust. 

Genital Organs. Congestion to the uterus ; leucor- 
rhcea, with cramp -like contractions. 



340 MATERIA MEDICA. 

15. Cimicifuga Racemosa. 
(Synonymes : Actsea racemos ; Macrotys racemos.) 

Rheumatic and neuralgic affections in various parts 
of the system, especially in the muscles, voluntary 
and involuntary ; thus its great effect in heart and 
uterine diseases. 

General Symptoms. — Weak, trembling, exhausted 
feeling ; must lie down. 

Sleep. Very restless at night, also early in the 
morning. 

Chest. Stitches in the region of the heart, with a 
feeling of ebullition and fluttering of the heart. 

Genital Organs. Leucorrhcea ; pains in abdomen 
before menstruation ; pains in uterine region before 
menses ; the pains run down in the groins with 
chilliness. 

16. Cina. 

Scrofulous affections ; acute hydrocephalus of chil- 
dren ; wetting the bed ; whooping cough ; chiefly in 
scrofulous children or in those suffering from worms. 

General Symptoms. — Convulsions and distortion 
of the limbs ; epileptic convulsions, with cries, turn- 
ing on the back, and violent movements of the hands 
and feet ; external pressure aggravates or renews the 
sufferings. 

Sleep. Nocturnal sleeplessness, with agitation, 
tears, cries, heat, and anguish. 

Moral Symptoms. Child cries when it is touched. 

Eyes. Pupils dilated. 

Nose. Desire to put the fingers into the nose ; 
stoppage of the nose. 



MATERIA MEDIC A. 341 

Teeth. Grinding of the teeth. 

Appetite. Hunger a short time after a meal. 

Fceces. Loose evacuations, of the consistence of 
pap ; discharge of ascarides and of worms by the 
anus ; loose, involuntary, whitish evacuations. 

Urine. Wetting the bed ; urine soon becomes 
turbid. 

Larynx. Cough, with sudden starts and loss of 
consciousness. 

17. Coffea. 

Excessive nervous excitability ; excessively pain- 
ful neuralgia ; sleeplessness from nervous excitement ; 
evil consequences of unexpected or excessive joy. 

General Symptoms. — Painful susceptibility of parts 
affected ; mental and physical excitability ; sleeplessness 
from excitement of the imagination, flow of ideas, 
and fantastic visions ; desire to lie down and to shut 
the eyes, without being able to sleep. 

Head and Throat. Pains in the head, as if the 
brain were bruised ; sore throat, with great and pain- 
ful sensibility. 

Stomach and Faeces. Cramps in the stomach ; 
abdominal pains, which even drive one to despair, 
especially in women ; diarrhoea, also, during teething. 

18. Colocynthis. 

Evil effects from mental emotions, with indignation 
and mortification. 

General Symptoms. — Painful cramps and cramp- 
like contractions in the internal or external parts. 

Skin. Troublesome itching, with great restlessness 



342 MATERIA MEDICA. 

in the whole body, especially in the evening in bed, 
followed by perspiration. 

Head. Attacks of semi-lateral headache. 

Stomach. Colic and diarrhoea, however little is 
eaten. 

Abdominal Region. Inflammation of the abdomen, 
as if from tympanitis ; cramp -like pain and constriction 
in the intestines, especially after a fit of passion ; ex- 
cessively violent colic, with cutting, cramp -like, or 
contractive pains, which compel one to bend double, 
with restlessness in the whole body, and with a sensa- 
tion of shuddering in the face, which seems to proceed 
from the abdomen ; coffee and tobacco smoke diminish 
the colic. 

Fceces. Loose evacuations of a greenish yellow ; 
dysenterical evacuations, with colic. 

Urine. Diminished secretion of urine. 

19. Cuprum. 

Spasmodic affections and convulsions ; encephalitis ; 
Asiatic cholera ; whooping cough ; spasmodic asthma . 

General Symptoms. — Tonic spasms, with loss of 
consciousness, throwing of the head backward ; the 
convulsions generally begin in the fingers and in the 
toes ; convulsive startings at night when sleeping ; 
violent convulsions, with great display of strength ; 
symptoms which appear periodically, and in groups. 

Head. Whirling vertigo, as if the head were 
going to fall forward ; stupefying depression in the 
head, with crawling in the vertex ; pains in the 
occiput and nape of the neck, on moving the head. 

Eyes. Convulsions and restless movements of the 
eyes. 



MATERIA MEDICA. 343 

Face. Spasmodic distortion of the face ; lips 
bluish. 

Teeth and Mouth. Foam in the mouth. 

Stomach. Violent vomitings, with cramps in the 
abdomen, aggravated by touch and by movement. 

Abdominal Region. Spasmodic colic. 

Fceces. Violent diarrhoea. 

Chest. Eespiration accelerated ; short, difficult 
respiration, with spasmodic cough and rattling in 
the chest ; suffocating fits ; cramps in the chest 
which interrupt the respiration and the voice. 

Trunk and Arms. Cramps of the fingers and of 

tlje toes. 

20. Drosera. 

Catarrh and hoarseness ; whooping cough ; affec- 
tions of the respiratory organs in consequence of 
croup. 

Larynx. Crawling in the larynx, which excites 
a short cough and shootings as far as the throat ; 
sensation of dryness or roughness, and of scraping 
in the bottom of the gullet, with inclination to 
cough ; hoarseness, and very low voice ; dry, spas- 
modic cough, with inclination to vomit ; fatiguing 
cough, like whooping cough, with bluish face, wheez- 
ing respiration, attacks of suffocation, bleeding from 
the nose and mouth, and anxiety ; vomiting of food 
during the cough and afterward. 

Chest. Difficulty of respiration when coughing or 

speaking. 

21. Dulcamara. 

General Symptoms. — Aggravation of sufferings, 
chiefly in the evening or at night, and during repose. 



34± MATERIA MEDIC A. 

mitigated by movement ; swelling and induration of 
the glands ; dropsical swelling of the whole body, 
limbs, and face. 

Skin: Dry, furfuraceous, humid, scaling, or sup- 
purating tetters ; reddish tetters, bleeding after being 
scratched, with painful sensibility to the touch, and 
to cold water. 

Fceces. Diarrhoea, as if after a chill, of greenish 
or brownish mucus ; nocturnal, watery diarrhoea, 
with colic. 

Larynx. Catarrh and hoarseness, as if from hav- 
ing taken cold ; moist cough. 

Arms. Tettery eruption on the hands. 

22. Gelseminum. 

Head. Vertigo, like intoxication, with loss of 
sight and double vision ; feeling of a tape or band 
around the head ; bruised feeling of the brain. 

Eyes. Dim sight, blindness, photophobia. 

Chest. Weak voice ; stitches in the right side, 
and also in the heart. 

Genital Organs. Stoppage of uterine flow, with 
convulsions. 

Extremities. Pain, as of a sprain, with loss of 
voluntary motion ; threatened paralysis. 

23. Graphites. 

General Symptoms. — Great disposition to take 
cold, and fear of the open air and currents of air. 

Skin. Tetters, and other humid or scabby erup- 
tions, sometimes with secretion of corrosive serum, 
or with itching in the evening and at night ;" un- 



MATERIA MEDIC A. 3 ±5 

healthy skin, every injury tends to ulceration ; de- 
formity and thickness of the nails. 

Eyes. Inflammation of the eyes, injection of the 
veins, swelling and abundant mucous secretion from 
the eyelids. 

Ears. Dryness of the internal ear ; scabs, tetters, 
running, and excoriation behind the ears ; hardness 
of hearing mitigated by the motion of a carriage. 

Nose. Dry scabs on the nose ; nostrils excoriated, 
cracked, and ulcerated ; fetid smell from the nose. 

Face. Flushes of heat in the face ; erysipelatous 
inflammation and swelling of the face, with eruption 
of vesicles ; one-sided paralysis and distortion of the 
muscles of the face, with difficult articulation ; ulcers 
on the internal surface of the lips ; scabby eruption 
on the chin and around the mouth. 

Tliroat. Sore throat, even at night, as if there 
were a plug within it. 

Appetite. Weakness of digestion ; inflation of the 
abdomen after a meal. 

Abdominal Region. Immoderate expulsion of fetid 
wind, preceded by pinchings. 

Fceces. Obstinate constipation, with hard faeces ; 
large hemorrhoidal excrescences in the anus. 

Urine. Wetting the bed. 

Menses. Suppression of menses : in place of 
menses, flow of blood from the anus. 

Arms. Arthritic nodosities on the fingers ; tettery 
excoriation between the fingers ; thickness of the 
nails of the fingers. 

Legs. Tetters on the thighs, hams, and tibia ; 
cold feet, even in the evening in bed ; tettery exco- 



346 MATERIA MEDICA. 

riation between the toes ; thickness and deformity 
of the toe nails. 

24. Hamamelis Virgin. (Witch Hazel.) 

Head. Fulness, with dull, frontal headache. 

Nose. Bleeding of nose, with a feeling of tight- 
ness at the root of nose. 

Abdomen. Pains in the umbilical region ; hem- 
orrhage from the bowels — bleeding piles ; dysentery, 
with profuse hemorrhage. 

Urinary Organs. Hematuria, with scanty, high- 
colored urine ; stranguria. 

Extremities. Varicose veins on lower limbs ; 
sprains and feelings of dislocations on upper and 
lower limbs ; externally and internally to be used. 

25. Helleborus. 

Dropsical affections, especially some kinds of ana- 
sarca, and chiefly those which proceed from the re- 
percussion of eruptions, such as measles ; scald-head, 
with obstruction of the glands of the neck ; acute 
hydrocephalus. 

General Symptoms. — Convulsions. 

Sleep. Sleepiness, with eyes half open and pupils 
turned upward. 

Moral Symptoms. Dulness of the internal senses. 

Head. Stupefying pain and sensation of a bruise 
in the head ; painful heaviness of the head ; disposition 
to bury the head in the pillow when sleeping. 

Fceces. Watery and frequent evacuations. 

Chest. Difficult respiration, as if from hydro- 
thorax ; constriction of the chest. 



MATERIA MEDICA. 347 

26. Hepar Sulphuris. 

Evil consequences of the abuse of mercury ; scrof- 
ulous affections, icterus ; scald-head ; eruptions and 
tetters on the face ; scrofulous catarrhal ophthalmia ; 
ulcers on the cornea. 

General Symptoms. — Pains, as if from excoria- 
tion or a bruise on different parts when touched ; 
swelling, inflammation, and ulceration of the glands ; 
aggravation of the pains at night. 

Skin. Eruption of pimples and tubercles, painful 
when touched ; unhealthy skin, every injury tends 
to ulceration ; suppurations. 

Sleep. Jerking at night, as if from want of air. 

Fever. Dry heat at night ; great disposition to 
perspire in the daytime. 

Head. Pain in the head as if a nail were driven 
into it ; pain, as if from ulceration in the head, 
directly above the eyes ; tuberosities on the head, 
with pain, as if from excoriation when touched. 

Eyes. Stinging in the eyes ; inflammation of the 
eyes and eyelids, with pain as from a bruise and 
excoriation when touched ; specks and ulcers on the 
cornea ; spasmodic closing of the eyelids. 

Ears. Heat, redness, and itching in the ears ; 
scabs behind and on the ears. 

Nose. Pain, as from a bruise and excoriation in 
the nose when touched. 

Face. Face burning and of a deep red ; erysipe- 
latous inflammation and swelling of the face ; pains 
in the bones of the face when touched. 

Teeth. Toothache, with jerking and drawing pains, 



348 MATERIA MEDICA. 

aggravated by closing the teeth, by eating, and in a 
hot room ; swelling and inflammation of the gums, 
which are painful to the touch. 

Mouth. Salivation ; sore throat, as if there were 
a plug in it. 

Appetite. Desire only for acid or pungent things. 

Stomach. Eructations, with burning sensation in 
the throat. 

Fceces. Whitish diarrhoea, of an acid color, es- 
pecially in children ; dysenteric evacuations, greenish 
or of a clay color, with evacuation of sanguineous 
mucus. 

Urine. Wetting the bed ; discharge of mucus 
from the urethra. 

Genital Organs. Flow of prostatic fluid, especially 
after making water, and during a difficult evacuation ; 
excoriation between the thighs ; leucorrhcea, with 
smarting. 

• Larynx. Hoarseness ; dry cough in the evening, 
from any part of the body becoming cold, or when 
lying on the bed ; attacks of dry, rough, and hollow 
cough, with anguish and suffocation, often causing 
one to weep. 

Chest. Anxious, hoarse, wheezing respiration, 
with danger of suffocation when lying down. 

Arms. Pain, as from a bruise", in the bones of 
the arm ; arthritic swelling of the hand, fingers, and 
joints of the fingers, with heat, redness, and pain, 
as from dislocation, during movement ; skin of the 
hands cracked, rough, and dry ; panaris. 

Legs. Swelling of the knees ; cracks in the feet. 



MATERIA MEDICA. 349 

27. Hydrastis Canad. 

General Symptoms. — Great emmi and lassitude ; 
sinking at the stomach, with violent and long-con- 
tinued palpitations. 

Skin. Erysipelatous rash over most parts of the 
skin, with intense burning heat ; given early in small- 
pox or varioloid will cause the prevention of these 
diseases to full maturity. 

Nose. Catarrhal affection, with profuse secretion 
of tears ; principal constitutional remedy for catarrhs. 

Urinary Organs. Incipient stricture, spermator- 
rhoea and inflammation, and ulceration of the whole 
internal coat of the bladder. 

28. Hyoscyamus. 

General Symptoms. — Convulsions, with cries, 
great anguish. 

Fever. Burning heat of the body, especially of 
the head. 

Moral Symptoms. Desire to run away ; loss of 
consciousness, with eyes closed, and raving about 
business ; delirium ; perversion of all actions. 

Head. Headache, as if from concussion of the 
brain ; oppressive and benumbing pain in the fore- 
head. 

Eyes. Eyes red, fixed, convulsed ; spasmodic 
closing of the eyelids ; nocturnal blindness, weakness 
of sight, as if from incipient amaurosis. 

Mouth and Throat. Eedness of the tongue ; con- 
striction in the throat, and inability to swallow 
liquids. 



350 MATERIA MEDIC A. 

Appetite and Stomach. Vomiting of food and 
drink immediately after a meal. 

Fceces. Involuntary evacuations. 

Genital Organs. Metrorrhagia of a bright-colored 
blood. 

Larynx. Cramp-like cough at night, especially 
when lying down ; sometimes with redness of the face 
and vomiting of mucus. 

Chest. Pressure on the right side of the chest, 
with great anxiety, and shortness of breath when 
ascending stairs ; spasms in the chest, with short 
breathing. 

Arms. Hands clinched, with retraction of the 
thumbs (in the convulsive fits). 

Legs. Painful cramps in the thighs and calves 
of the legs. 

29. Ignatia. 

Spasmodic affections, especially in consequence of 
fright or contradiction, and chiefly in hysterical 
women, or in children ; melancholy, and other mental 
affections caused by affliction ; difficult teething of 
children, with convulsions ; prolapsus recti also, in 
children. 

General Symptoms. — Violent pain, merely on be- 
ing touched, in different parts ; attacks of cramp and of 
convulsions ; hysterical debility and fainting fits ; the 
pains are removed always by change of position. • 

Sleep. Violent spasmodic yawnings,, especially in 
the morning. 

Fever. Absence of thirst during the heat and 
perspiration. 



MATERIA MEDIC A. 351 

Moral Symptoms. Tenderness of character, and 
delicacy of conscience ; love of solitude. 

Head. Pressive headache, especially above the 
root of the nose ; aggravated or relieved by stooping ; 
the headaches are aggravated by coffee, brandy, 
tobacco smoke, noise, and strong smell ; headache, 
as if a nail were driven into the brain. 

Eyes. Convulsive movements of the eyes and eye- 
lids. 

Face. Convulsive jerkings, and distortion of the 
•muscles of the face ; convulsive twitchings of the 
corners of the mouth. 

Throat. Sore throat, as if there were a plug in it ; 
shootings in the throat, extending sometimes to the 
ear, chiefly when not swallowing ; inflammation, swell- 
ing, and induration of the tonsils, with small ulcers ; 
impeded deglutition (of drinks). 

Appetite. Dislike to milk and tobacco smoke ; 
painful inflation of the abdomen after a meal. 

Stomach. Hiccough every time after eating and 
drinking ; periodical attacks of cramp in the stomach, 
aggravated by pressing on the part affected. 

Abdomen. Shootings and pinchings in the abdo- 
men, especially in the sides ; flatulent colic, especially 
at night. 

Faeces. Hard evacuations, with frequent ineffectual 
efforts ; prolapsus of the rectum during evacuation ; 
itching and *crawling in the anus. 

Catamema. Cramp-like and compressive pains in 
the region of the uterus, with attacks of choking. 

Larynx. Short cough, as if from a feather in the 
throat, becoming more violent the more one coughs. 



352 MATERIA MEDIC A. 

Chest. Difficult respiration, as if hindered by a 
weight upon the chest ; choking with running ; pal- 
pitation of the heart at night. 

Arms. Insupportable pains in the bones and joints 
of the arms, as if the flesh were being loosened ; 
convulsive jerkings in the arms and in the fingers. 

Legs. Convulsive jerkings of the legs. 

30. Ipecacuanha. 

Gastric and bilious fevers ; intermittent fevers ; 
gastric uneasiness, especially when caused by indiges- 
tion ; Asiatic and sporadic cholera ; gastric affections, 
with vomiting and diarrhoea ; asthmatic affections. 

General Symptoms. — Attacks of uneasiness, with 
dislike to all food, and excessive and sudden debility. 

Fever. Coldness, especially of the hands and feet ; 
thirst only during the shivering or chill. 

Head. Attacks of headache, with nausea and vom- 
iting. 

Appetite. Great repugnance and dislike to all food. 
. Stomach. Nausea ; vomiting of drink and undigested 
food, of bilious, greenish, or acrid matter, and some- 
times immediately after a meal ; vomiting with diar- 
rhoea. 

Fceces. Loose evacuations, like matter in a state of 
fermentation ; diarrhoea, with nausea, colic, and vom- 
iting ; dysenteric evacuations, with white flocks, and 
followed by tenesmus. 

Genital Organs. Metrorrhagia, with discharge of 
bright red and coagulated blood. 

Larynx. Cough, especially at night, with painful 
shocks in the head and stomach, with disgust, and 



MATERIA MEDIC A. 353 

inclination to vomit, and vomiting ; or with fits of 
suffocation, stiffness of the body, and bluish face. 

Chest. Spasmodic asthma, Avith contraction of the 
larynx. 

31. Lachesis. 

General Symptoms. — Great weakness of body and 
mind. 

Skin. Skin yellow, green, lead colored, or bluish, 
or blackish, chiefly around the wounds and ulcers. 

Head. Vertigo, chiefly on waking in the morning ; 
apoplectic fits, with blue face, convulsive movements 
of the limbs ; headache, with congestion of blood, 
sparkling before the eyes ; headache every morning on 
waking, or after dinner, or else from every change of 
weather. 

Mouth. Tongue shining, red, and cracked ; painful 
excoriation and inflammatory swelling of the throat ; 
constant desire to swallow, and a sensation on swallow- 
ing as if there were a tumor, some foreign body, or a 
plug in the throat, ulcers on the palate, back of the 
mouth, and throat. 

Appetite. Desire for wine. 

Stomach. Excessive sensibility of the precordial 
region to the slightest touch. 

Abdominal Region. Inflammation and softening of 
the liver ; pain and stitches in the region of the spleen ; 
abdomen hard and distended, with flatulent colic. 

Fceces. Obstinate constipation, with hard and diffi- 
cult evacuation ; loose evacuations, principally at night, 
or after a meal, or in warm (and damp) weather, or 
from having taken fruits and acids. 



354 MATERIA MEDICA. 

32. Lycopodium. 

General Symptoms. — Excessive sensibility to fresh 
air ; great tendency to take cold. 

Skin. Excoriation of the skin of children. 

Moral Symptoms. Melancholy and disposition to 
weep ; aversion to speaking. 

Face. Frequent flushes of transient heat in the 
face ; swelling of the submaxillary glands. 

Mouth. Dryness of the mouth without thirst. 

Throat. Dryness of the throat ; inflammation of 
the throat and palate, with shooting pain. 

Stomach. Pressure in the stomach after every 
meal ; swelling of the epigastrium, with painful sensi- 
bility to the touch. 

Abdominal Region. Tension around the hypochon- 
dria, as if caused by a hoop ; induration of the liver ; 
fulness and distention of the stomach and abdomen ; 
obstructed flatulency. 

Fceces. Obstruction of the abdomen. 

Genital Organs. Leucorrhcea, milky, yellowish, 
reddish, and corrosive ; excoriation and running sores 
of the nipples. 

Larynx. Nocturnal cough, which affects the head, 
diaphragm, and stomach. 

Chest. Short respiration during almost every exer- 
tion ; palpitation of the heart, especially during diges- 
tion ; painful eruption and liver spots on the chest. 

Trunk. Swelling of the glands of the neck and 
shoulder with shooting pain. 

Arms. Nocturnal aching pains in the arms ; dry- 
ness of the skin of the hands. 



MATERIA MEDIC A. 355 

Legs. Swelling of the knees ; ulcers on the legs ; 
pain in the soles of the feet when walking. 

33. Mercurius Vivus. 

Swelling and inflammation of the glands ; inflam- 
matory fevers, with disposition to perspire profusely ; 
rheumatic or catarrhal headache ; scrofulous, rheu- 
matic, catarrhal (and arthritic) ophthalmia ; syphilitic 
ophthalmia ; rheumatic and catarrhal otalgia ; rheu- 
matic prosopalgia and toothache ; dysentery ; mucous 
or bilious diarrhoea ; influenza. 

General Symptoms. — Bending, or drawing, or 
stinging pains in the limbs, principally at night, in 
the heat of the bed, which renders the pain insup- 
portable ; nocturnal aching pains ; rheumatic pains, 
with profuse sweat, which affords no relief ; the 
whole body feels as if it had been bruised, with 
soreness in all the bones ; emaciation and atrophy of 
the whole body ; excitability and sensibility of all the 
organs. 

Skin. Enlargement, inflammation, and ulceration 
of the glands, with pulsative and shooting pains, 
hard, red, and shining swelling ; violent and volup- 
tuous itching over the whole body, principally in the 
evening, or at night, augmented by the heat of 
the bed, and sometimes with burning after being 
scratched. 

Fever. Copious, excessive, and colliquative sweats 
both day and night ; in the morning, sweat, with 
nausea and desire to vomit ; great fatigue. 

Head. Vertigo, principally on getting up or on 
raising up the head ; fulness and pressure in the 



356 MATERIA MEDIC A. 

head, as if the forehead were squeezed by a band, 
or that the cranium would split ; heat and burning, 
or tearing and drawing pains, or stinging in the 
head, often only one-sided and extending to the ears, 
teeth, and neck. 

Eyes. Itching, tickling, and burning in the eyes ; 
eyes red and inflamed ; eyelids red, inflamed, swollen, 
ulcerated on the margins, and covered with scabs. 

Ears. Tearing, stinging, and drawing pains in 
the ears, increased by the heat of the bed ; puru- 
lent otorrhoea, with tearing in the affected side of 
the head and in the face. 

Face. Bloatedness and swelling of the face ; tear- 
ing in the bones and muscles (of one side) of the 
face ; obstruction and inflammatory swelling of the 
submaxillary glands, with stinging or pulsative pains. 

Teeth. Tearing, stinging, or pulsative pains in 
the carious teeth, or in the roots of the teeth, 
often spreading as far as the ears, and in the entire 
cheek of the side affected, sometimes, also, with 
painful swelling of the cheek or of the submaxillary 
glands, with salivation and shivering ; appearance or 
aggravation of toothache, principally in the evening 
or at night, in the heat of the bed, where it is 
insupportable ; renewed by the fresh air, as well as 
by eating, and taking anything hot or cold into the 
mouth ; retraction and swelling of the gums, prin- 
cipally at night, with burning pain and sensation of 
excoriation on touching them and on eating ; gums 
livid, discolored, and very sensitive ; ulceration of 
the gums. 

Mouth. Putrid smell from the mouth ; inflam- 



MATERIA MEDICA. 357 

matory swelling of the inside of the month ; burning 
pain, vesicles, blisters, aphthae, and ulcers in the 
mouth ; accumulation of tenacious mucus ; profuse dis- 
charge of excessively fetid saliva ; tongue moist, 
with white and thick coating ; inflammatory swelling 
and ulceration of the tongue, with stinging pains ; 
entire loss of speech. 

Throat. Stinging pains in the throat and ton- 
sils, principally when swallowing ; inflammatory 
swelling and redness of all the back parts of the 
mouth and throat ; constant desire to swallow ; in- 
ability to swallow the least liquid, which escapes 
through the nostrils ; the pains in the throat com- 
monly extend as far as the ears, the parotids, the 
submaxillary glands, and those of the neck ; they are 
aggravated, for the most part, by empty deglutition, 
as well as at night, in the fresh air and when 
speaking, and they are accompanied with salivation. 

Appetite. Acid and mucous taste ; dislike to all 
food, principally solid nutriment, meat. 

Stomach. Violent, empty eructations ; excessive 
tenderness of the stomach and precordial region ; 
pressure as if from a stone in the pit of the stomach. 

Abdominal Region. Painful sensibility of the 
hepatic region, with stinging, burning pain ; complete 
icterus ; obstruction and inflammatory swelling of 
the -inguinal glands. 

Fceces. Loose and dysenteric evacuations, prin- 
cipally at night, with colic and cuttings ; tenesmus 
and burning in the anus ; nausea and eructations ; 
shivering and shuddering, exhaustion and tremor of 
all the limbs ; scanty evacuations of sanguinolent 



358 MATERIA MEDIC A. 

mucus ; evacuations, which are mucous, or bilious, 
or putrid, or acid, or of a greenish or brownish color ; 
evacuation of acrid and burning fecal matter ; dis- 
charge of blood or of mucus from the rectum ; dis- 
charge of ascarides and lumbrici. 

Urine. Frequent, copious emission of urine, like 
diabetes ; corrosive and burning urine. 

Larynx. Catarrh, with febrile shivering ; con- 
tinued hoarseness and loss of voice ; pains in the 
head and chest when coughing, as if these parts were 
about to burst. 

Chest. Difficulty of respiration, with attacks of 
suffocation at night, or in bed, in the evening when 
lying (on the left side) ; shootings in the chest and 
side, or extending as far as the back, principally when 
breathing, sneezing, and coughing ; pain as from 
excoriation and of ulceration in the chest. 

Trunk. Obstructions and inflammatory swelling 
of the glands of the neck. 

.Arms. Sharp pains in the shoulders and arms, 
principally at night, and when moving these parts. 

Legs. Sharp and piercing pains in the hip joints, 
as well as the thighs, principally at night, and when 
moving ; cedematous, transparent sweUing of the thighs 
and legs. 

34. Mercur. Subl. Corros. 

Abdomen. Sensitive to touch ; cutting below 
navel. 

Stool. Bloody, green mucus, with straining and 
colic ; very severe pains, with the smallest quantity 
of bloody mucus/ 



MATERIA MEDIC A. 359 

35. Nux Vomica. 

Sufferings from the abuse of coffee, wine, or other 
spirituous or narcotic drugs ; bad effects from passion 
or excessive study, prolonged watching, or a sedentary 
life ; periodical and intermittent affections ; gastralgia ; 
gastritis ; gastrico- mucous or bilious affections ; dys- 
pepsia, also with vomiting of food ; vomiting of 
drunkards, of pregnant women ; incarcerated hernia ; 
obstinate constipation ; blind and bleeding hemor- 
rhoids. 

General Symptoms. — Eepugnance to the open air ; 
great desire to remain lying down or sitting. 

Sleep. Too short sleep, with difficulty in going to 
sleep again after midnight, and inability to remain 
in bed after three o'clock in the morning ; on wak- 
ing in the morning, pain in the limbs as if they were 
bruised, great lassitude, with desire to remain lying 
down, and fits of stretching and of convulsive yawning. 

Fever. During the shivering, skin, hands and feet, 
face or nails, are cold and bluish ; during the heat, 
vertigo, headache, shivering when moving in the least, 
or when uncovered in the slightest degree, thirst. 

Moral Symptoms. Hypochondriacal, sorrowful, and 
sad humor ; ill-humor, vexation, and anger ; dislike to, 
and unfitness for, bodily and mental labor. 

Head. Vertigo, with sensation of turning and of 
wavering of the brain ; heaviness, pressure, and sensa- 
tion of expansion in the head, as if the forehead were 
about to burst, especially above the eyes. 

Eyes. Eyes inflamed, with redness and swelling, 
also the evelids. 



360 . MATERIA MEDIC A. 

Nose. Obstruction of the nose, sometimes on one 
side only, and often with itching in the nostrils and 
discharge of mucus ; obstruction in the head, princi- 
pally in the morning, or at night, and dry coryza with 
heat and heaviness in the forehead, and obstruction of 
the nostrils. 

Teeth. Putrid and painful swelling of the gums. 

Mouth. Fetid, putrid, and cadaverous smell from 
the mouth ; tongue loaded with a white coating, or 
dry, cracked, brownish or blackish. 

Throat. Swelling of the uvula ; bitter taste of the 
mouth ; desire for brandy. 

Stomach. Frequent, bitter, and acid eructations ; 
violent hiccough ; vomiturition and violent vomit- 
ing of mucous and sour matter, after drinking or eat- 
ing, or in the morning ; pressure in the stomach as if 
by a stone ; tension and fulness in the epigastrium ; 
tight clothes are insupportable. 

Abdominal Region. Flatulent colic, sometimes in 
the morning, after eating or drinking, with pressing 
pains, as if by stones. 

Fceces. Frequent but ineffectual and anxious desire 
to evacuate ; obstinate constipation, as if from inactivity 
of the intestines ; incomplete evacuations ; small, loose, 
aqueous or mucous and sanguinolent evacuations ; 
hemorrhoids, with excoriating, stinging, burning pain, 
and pressure in the anus and rectum. 

Urine. Ineffectual desire to urinate ; frequent 
emission of watery and pale urine ; burning pain in the 
neck of the bladder when making water. 

Larynx. Catarrhal hoarseness and painful rough- 
ness of the larynx and chest ; accumulation of tenacious 



MATERIA MEDIC A. 361 

mucus, which it is impossible to detach ; pains, as from 
excoriation in the larynx, when coughing. 

Chest. Asthmatic constriction of the chest at night, 
in bed, when going upstairs, choking, anxiety. 

Trunk. Pains, like those caused by a bruise in the 
back and loins ; rheumatic, drawing, and burning 
pains in the back. 

36. Opium. 

Eecent affections rather than those of long stand- 
ing ; nervous torpor, and want of vital reaction against 
the medicines that have been administered ; sufferings 
of drunkards ; affections of old men ; bad effects of 
fright, with continued fear, or of sudden joy ; typhus ; 
delirium tremens ; ileus ; constipation, principally that 
caused by torpor of the intestinal canal, a£ter frequent 
diarrhoea, or from want of exercise, and especially in 
the case of vigorous persons, or those who are plethoric, 
or well fed, as well as in the case of children and 
pregnant women ; tympanitis ; suppressed or false and 
spasmodic labor pains. 

General Symptoms. — General insensibility of the 
whole nervous system. 

Sleep. Lethargy, with snoring and mouth open ; 
excessive desire to sleep, with absolute inability to go 
to sleep. 

Fever. Pulse generally full, slow ; fever with 
lethargic sleep, snoring. 

Face. Face dark red, sometimes brownish, hot, 
and bloated. 

Stomach. Vomiting of fecal matter and of urine. 

Abdominal Region. Abdomen hard and distended, 
as in tympanitis. 



362 MATERIA MEDICA. 

Fceces. Constipation, long continued ; involuntary 
evacuations. 

Chest. Noisy, stertorous, and rattling respiration ; 
attacks of suffocation on making an effort to cough. 

37. Phosphorus. 

Physical and nervous weakness caused by pro- 
tracted influences injurious to the vital economy ; 
hemorrhage and congestion of blood ; cholerine ; 
chronic and colliquative diarrhoea ; chronic laryngitis ; 
disposition to croup. 

General Symptoms. — The majority of the symp- 
toms manifest themselves morning and evening, in 
bed, as well as after dinner, while several others 
appear at the beginning of a meal and disappear 
after it. 

Skin. Lymphatic abscesses, with fistulous ulcers, 
which have callous margins, and secrete a fetid and 
colorless pus, with hectic fever ; copious bleeding from 
small wounds. 

Sleep. Unref reshmg sleep ; in the morning it 
appears as if one had not slept enough ; nocturnal 
heat ; hectic fever, with dry heat toward evening, espe- 
cially in the palms of the hands ; sweat and colliqua- 
tive diarrhoea ; circumscribed redness of the cheeks, etc. 

Moral Symptoms. Anguish and uneasiness, espe- 
cially when alone. 

Head. Vertigo, with nausea and pressing pains 
in the head ; congestion to the head, with beating ; 
falling off of the hair. 

Eyes. Inflammation of the eyes ; nocturnal agglu- 
tination of the eyes ; black spots before the sight. 



MATERIA MEDIC A. 363 

Xose. Unpleasant dryness of the nose ; continual 
discharge of yellow mucus from the nose. 

Face. Face pale, wan, dirty, earthy, with hollow 
eyes surrounded by a blue circle. 

Stomach. Sour regurgitations of food ; nausea of 
various kinds, especially in the morning ; spasmodic 
pain and contraction in the stomach. 

Abdominal Region. Spasmodic colic ; sensation of 
coldness, with heat and burning in the abdomen ; 
flatulent colic, with grumbling. 

Faeces. Prolonged looseness of the bowels. 

Larynx. Aphonia ; cough excited by a tickling 
and itching in the chest, or with hoarseness, and 
sensation as if the chest were raw ; cough, with puru- 
lent and saltish expectoration, or of blood. 

Chest. Obstructed respiration of various kinds ; 
congestion to the chest ; palpitation of the heart. 

Arms. Trembling in the arms and hands. 

Legs. Drawing and tearing in the knees ; swell- 
ing of the feet. 

38. Podophyllum. 

Head. Vertigo ; morning headache. 

Abdomen. Pain and fulness in right side (liver). 

Stool. Constipated, with headache ; fulness of 
bowels ; prolapsus ani ; icterus, with induration of 
liver. 

39. Pulsatilla. 

Affections of persons of mild character, inclined 
to pleasantry, and to laughter or weeping, with a 
mild countenance, and of phlegmatic temperament, 



364 MATERIA MEDIC A. 

inclining to melancholy, lymphatic constitution, with 
pale complexion, blue eyes, and light hair, freckles, 
disposition to take a cold in the head, or to other 
mucous discharges, etc. ; bad consequences from the 
abuse of sulphur waters, of mercury, cinchona, cham- 
omilla, or from the fat of pork ; rheumatic and 
arthritic aff ections, with swellings ; inflammatory otal- 
gia ; dyspepsia, with vomiting of food ; mucous or 
bilious diarrhoea ; inflammatory swelling of the testes ; 
organic affections of the heart ; inflammatory swelling 
of the legs and feet. 

General Symptoms. — Sharp, drawing, and jerking 
pains in the muscles, aggravated at night, or in bed 
in the evening, as well as by the heat of the room, 
mitigated in the open air, and often accompanied 
by torpor, with paralytic weakness or hard swelling 
of the parts affected ; shifting pains, which pass 
rapidly from one part to the other, often with swell- 
ing and redness of the joints. 

Skin. Eed spots, like measles or nettle rash ; 
chilblains, with bluish red swellings ; heat and burn- 
ing, or pulsative pains. 

Head. Vertigo, as during intoxication ; headaches 
in the evening after lying down, or at night ; com- 
pression sometimes mitigates them. 

Eyes. Pressive or sharp, shooting pain in the 
eyes, with inflammation ; sties on the eyelids. 

Ears. Shootings, with itching, or sharp, jerking 
pains and contraction in and around the ears ; the 
pains sometimes come on by fits, attack the whole 
head, appear almost insupportable, and almost cause 
the loss of reason ; inflammatory swelling, heat, and 



MATERIA MEDIC A. 365 

erysipelatous redness of the ear and auditory duct, 
as well as the surrounding external parts ; tingling, roar- 
ing, and humming in the ears ; hardness of hearing. 

Nose. Obstruction of the nose, and dry coryza, 
principally in the evening and in the heat of a room. 

Face. Face pale, and sometimes with an expres- 
sion of suffering 

Teeth. Sharp, shooting pains in the teeth, or 
drawing, jerking pains, as if the nerve were tightened, 
then suddenly relaxed ; or pulsative, digging, and 
gnawing pains, often with pricking in the gums, 
and shivering ; worse in the evening, or afternoon, 
in the heat of the bed, or of a room ; mitigated by cold 
water or fresh air. 

Mouth. Tongue loaded with a thick coating, of a 
whitish or yellowish color. 

Throat. Pain, as if from excoriation in the throat, 
as if it were all raw, with sensation as if these parts 
were swollen, principally when swallowing, or accumu- 
lation of tenacious mucus, which covers the parts 
affected. 

Appetite. Bitter or sour taste in the mouth, 
immediately after having eaten ; sensation of derange- 
ment in the stomach, similar to that caused by fat 
pork or rich pastry ; after eating, nausea, and pressure 
in the pit of the stomach, and many other sufferings. 

Stomach. Nausea and vomitings take place in the 
evening or at night, and after eating or drinking, 
with shivering, paleness of face, colic ; pressive, 
spasmodic, contractive, and compressive pains in the 
stomach and precordial region, after a meal, or in 
the evening ; pulsations in the pit of the stomach. 



366 MATERIA MEDICA. 

Fceces. Loose evacuations, with colic and cuttings, 
of greenish, bilious, or watery matter ; blind and 
bleeding hemorrhoids, with itching, smarting, and 
pain, as if from excoriation. 

Genital Organs. Inflammatory swelling of the 
testes, and of the spermatic cord (sometimes only on 
one side), with pressive and drawing pains extending 
into the abdomen ; metrorrhagia ; black menstrual 
blood, with clots of mucus, or " discharge of pale and 
serous blood ; menses irregular, too tardy, or entirely 
suppressed, with colic, hysterical spasms in the abdo- 
men ; % nausea, and vomitings, shiverings, and paleness 
of face ; leucorrhcea thick, like cream. 

Larynx. Shaking cough in the evening, at night, 
aggravated when lying down, accompanied with a 
desire to vomit, or by a choking, as if caused by the 
vapor of sulphur ; moist cough, with expectoration of 
white, tenacious mucus, or of thick, yellowish mat- 
ter. . 

Chest. Spasmodic constriction of the chest, or 
larynx, in the evening, or at night when lying 
horizontally ; frequent and violent palpitation of the 
heart. 

Trunk. Kheumatic, tensive, and drawing pain in 
the nape of the neck. 

Arms. Sharp, jerking, and drawing pains in the 
shoulder joint, as well as in the arms, hands, and 
fingers. 

Legs. Pain, as from subcutaneous ulceration in the 
legs and soles of the feet ; swelling of the knees, with 
sharp, drawing, and shooting pains ; great fatigue in 
the legs and in the knees, with trembling. 



MATERIA MEDICA. 367 

40. Rhus Toxicodendron. 

Rheumatic affections, with swelling ; vesicular ery- 
sipelas ; bad effects from a strain, dislocation, concus- 
sion, and other mechanical injuries, especially when 
attended with sufferings in the joints and synovial 
membranes ; gastric affections ; diarrhoea and dys- 
entery ; coxalgia and spontaneous dislocation. 

General Symptoms. — Rheumatic and arthritic draw- 
ings, tension, and tearing in the limbs, increased to the 
highest degree during repose, in bad weather at night, 
and in the heat of the bed ; red and shining swellings. 

Sleep. Disturbed sleep, with anxious and frightful 
dreams. 

Fever. Malignant fever, with loquacious delirium, 
violent pains in all the limbs, excessive weakness, dry 
or black tongue, dry, brownish, or blackish lips, heat 
and redness of the cheeks. 

Head. Heaviness and pressive fulness in the head ; 
beating and pulsations in the head, especially in the 
occiput ; balancing and sensation of fluctuation in the 
head at every step, as if the brain were loose. 

Eyes. Inflammation of the eyes and lids ; swelling 
of the whole eye and surrounding parts. 

Ears. Swelling and inflammation of the parotids, 
with fever. 

Face. Erysipelatous inflammation and swelling of 
the face, with pressive and tensive shootings, and burn- 
ing, crawling ; vesicular erysipelas, with yellow serum 
in the vesicles ; humid eruption and thick scabs on the 
face. 

Month. A yellow, and sometimes, also, a sanguin- 
eous saliva flows from the mouth at night. 



368 MATERIA MEDICA. 

Appetite. Thirst from a sensation of dryness in 
the mouth. 

Fceces. Loose, sanguineous, serous, or slimy evac- 
uations ; obstinate diarrhoea. 

Larynx. Cough, excited by a tickling in the ramifi- 
cations of the bronchi, short and dry. 

Chest. Shootings and lancinations in the chest and 
its sides. 

Trunk. Pains in the loins, as if beaten ; stiffness of 
the nape and neck. 

Arms. Warts on the hands and fingers. 

41. Secale. 

Gastric and bilious affection ; Asiatic and sporadic 
cholera ; diarrhoea, especially in old men ; metrorrhagia 
of weak women. 

Sleep. Great desire to sleep, and deep, lethargic 
sleep. 
• Eyes. Eyeballs sunk deep in the sockets. 

Face and Teeth. Face pale, discolored, yellow, 
wan, with the eyes hollow and surrounded by a blue 
circle. 

Fceces. Loose, frequent evacuations, with serous 
or slimy faeces, and sudden prostration of strength ; 
involuntary evacuations. 

42, Sepia. 

General Symptoms. — The symptoms disappear 
during every violent exercise, except on horseback, 
and are aggravated during repose, as also in the 
evening ; uneasiness and throbbing in all the limbs, 
violent ebullition of blood during the night, with 



MATERIA MEDICA. 369 

pulsation in the whole body ; great tendency to take 
cold, and sensitiveness to cold air. 

Skin. Itching in different parts, which changes 
to a burning sensation ; brown, reddish, and livid 
spots on the skin ; deformity of the nails. 

Fever. Profuse perspiration from the slightest 
movement ; sadness and dejection, with tears ; suscep- 
tibility and peevishness. 

Head. Attacks of headache, with nausea and 
vomiting when shaking or moving the head, and 
also at every step ; semi-lateral headache ; violent 
congestion of blood to the head. 

Eyes. Pressure on the eyeballs ; inflammation, 
redness, and swelling of the eyelids, with sties. 

Ears. Shooting in the ears. 

Nose. Scabby and ulcerated nostrils. 

Face. Yellow color of the face ; yellow streak on 
the nose, and cheeks in the form of a saddle ; yellow 
color and herpetic eruption around the mouth. 

Teeth. Toothache when compressing the teeth, 
when touching them, and when speaking, as also 
from the slightest current of cold air. 

Throat. Hawking up of mucus, especially in the 
morning. 

Appetite. Putrid or sour taste ; repugnance and 
dislike to food. 

Stomach. Throbbing in the pit of the stomach. 

Abdominal Region. Enlargement of the abdomen 
(in women who have had children). 

Fceces. . Ineffectual desire to evacuate ; greenish 
diarrhoea, often with putrid or sour smell, or especially 
in children ; prolapsus recti ; protrusion of hemorrhoids. 



370 MATERIA MEDICA. 

Urine. Wetting the bed during the first sleep. 

Genital Organs. Bearing down in the uterus ; 
prolapsus uteri ; leucorrhcea of a yellowish or greenish 
red water. 

Larynx. Dry cough, which seems to arise from 
the stomach, especially when in bed in the evening, 
and often with nausea and bitter vomiting ; cough ex- 
cited by a tickling, and accompanied with constipation, 
detached with difficulty. 

Chest. Dyspnoea, oppression of the chest, and 
short breath when walking and ascending^ as well as 
when lying in bed, in the evening, and at night ; ebulli- 
tion of blood in the chest, and violent palpitation of 
the heart. 

43. Silicea. 

Obstruction, inflammation, induration, and ulcera- 
tion of the glands ; inflammation, softening, ulceration, 
and other diseases of the bones ; ulcers, almost of all 
kinds ; ulceration of the mammae ; chronic coryza and 
obstinate disposition to take cold in the head ; panari- 
tium. 

Skin. Mild and malignant suppurations, especially 
in membranous parts ; carbuncles. 

Head. Vertigo, with nausea, which mounts from 
the back to the nape of the neck and head ; tearing 
pains in the head, often semi-lateral ; moist scald-head. 

Eyes. Redness of the eyes ; swelling of the lachry- 
mal gland ; black spots before the sight. 

Ears. Hardness of hearing ; swelling and indura- 
tion of the parotids. 

Nose. Scabs, pimples, and ulcers in the nose. 



MATERIA MEDICA. 371 

Face. Ulcers on the reel part of the lip ; herpes 
on the chin ; swelling of the submaxillary glands. 

Appetite. After a meal, sour taste in the mouth ; 
pressure in the stomach ; water-brash ; vomiting. 

Stomach. Nausea every morning. 

Fceces. Constipation, and slow, hard faeces. 

Trunk. Inflammatory abscesses in the lumbar 
region ; swelling and deviation of the spine ; swelling 
of the glands of the nape of the neck, on and under 
the axillae, sometimes with induration ; suppuration 
of the axillary glands. 

Arms. Burning sensation in the ends of the 
fingers ; panaritium. 

Legs. Inflammatory swelling of the knee : caries 
in the tibia ; offensive smell from the feet. 

44. Sulphur. 

General Symptoms. — Great sensitiveness to the 
open air and to the wind ; the majority of the suffer- 
ings are aggravated, or appear at night, or in the 
evening, and also during repose ; when standing for 
a long time, and by exposure to cold air ; they dis- 
appear when walking or moving the parts affected, 
and also in the warmth of a room ; but the heat of 
the bed renders the nocturnal pains insupportable. 

Skin. Itching in the skin, at night in bed ; sca- 
bious eruptions, with burning itching ; desquamation 
and excoriation of the skin in several places ; ulcers, 
with elevated margins, surrounded by itchy pimples ; 
inflammation, swelling, and induration, or suppuration 
of the glands. 
' Fever. Frequent and profuse perspiration day and 



372 MATERIA MEDICA. 

night ; aptness to perspire when working, partial per- 
spiration, principally on the head. 

Head. Fulness, pressure, and heaviness in the 
head, principally in the forehead ; congestion of blood 
to the head, with pulsative, clucking, hammering 
sensations, and feeling of heat in the brain ; quo- 
tidian, periodical, and intermittent headaches, appear- 
ing principally at night, or in the evening in bed, or 
in the morning ; movement, walking, the open air, 
and meditation often excite or aggravate the head- 
aches. 

Eyes. Itching, tickling, and burning sensation in 
the eyes and eyelids ; inflammation, swelling, and 
redness of the sclerotica, conjunctiva, and eyelids ; 
pustules and ulcers round the orbits, as far as the 
cheeks ; great sensitiveness of the eyes to the light. 

Ears. Obstruction and sensation of stoppage in 
the ears, on one side only : humming and roaring in 
the ears. 

Nose. Inflammation, ulceration, and scabs in the 
nostrils. 

Face. Heat, and burning sensation in the face, 
with dark redness of the whole face ; circumscribed 
redness of the cheeks. 

Teeth. Appearance or aggravation of toothache, 
principally in the evening,- at night, or in the open 
air, and also from a current of air ; from cold water, 
eating, and masticating. 

Mouth. Aphthae in the mouth and on the tongue. 

Throat. Pressure, as if from a plug, or from a 
tumor in the throat. 

Appetite. Dislike to sweet and acid things. 



MATERIA MEDICA. 373 

Abdominal Region. Shootings in the abdomen, 
principally in the left side when walking ; pains in 
the abdomen, principally at night, or after eating and 
drinking, mitigated by bending forward. 

Fceces. Constipation, and hard, knotty, and in- 
sufficient evacuations ; hemorrhoids. 

Genital Organs. Excoriation between the thighs 
and groins. 

Larynx. Moist cough, with profuse expectoration 
of thick, whitish, or yellowish mucus ; when cough- 
ing, pain as if from excoriation, or shootings, in the 
chest. 

Chest. Obstructed respiration, dyspnoea and attacks 
of suffocation, principally when lying down at night, 
and also during sleep ; periodical spasms in the chest ; 
shootings in the chest or sternum, or extending as 
far as the back, or into the left side. 

45, Veratrum. 

Sporadic or Asiatic cholera ; diarrhoea, of different 
kinds, also those produced by cold drinks, when one 
is overheated. 

General Symptoms — Pains in the limbs, which 
are rendered insupportable by the heat of the bed, 
and disappear completely when walking ; sudden, 
general, and paralytic prostration of strength. 

Fever. General coldness of the whole body, and 
cold, clammy perspiration ; fever, with external cold- 
ness ; pulse slow, and almost extinct. 

Head. Attack of headache, with paleness of the 
face, nausea and vomiting ; cold perspiration of the 
forehead. 



374 MATERIA MEDICA. 

Nose. Icy coldness of the nose. 

Face. Face pale, cold, hippocratic, wan, with the 
nose pointed, and a blue circle round the eyes ; cold 
perspiration on the face ; lips dry, blackish, and cracked. 

Teeth. Grinding of the teeth. 

Mouth. Sensation of coldness on the tongue; 
tongue dry, blackish, cracked. 

Appetite. Immediate vomiting and diarrhoea, how- 
ever little is eaten. 

Stomach. Violent nausea, with desire to vomit, 
with excessive thirst ; violent vomiting, with con- 
tinued nausea, great exhaustion and desire to lie 
down ; vomiting of black bile and blood ; vomiting, 
with diarrhoea ; the least drop of liquid and the 
slightest movement excite the vomitings ;" burning 
sensation in the pit of the stomach. 

Abdominal Region. Excessively painful sensitive- 
ness of the abdomen when touched ; cramps in the 
abdomen, and cuttings, as if from knives ; burning 
sensation through the whole extent of the abdomen, 
as if from hot coals. 

Faeces. Loose, blackish, greenish, brownish evac- 
uations ; unnoticed evacuation of liquid faeces. 

Urine. Eetention of urine ; urine diminished. 

Genital Organs. Menses suppressed, with delirium. 

Chest. Chest very much oppressed ; cramp in the 
chest, with painful constriction ; violent palpitation of 
the heart, which causes heaving of the chest. 

Arms. Icy coldness in the hands ; cramps in the 
fingers. 

Legs. Violent cramps in the calves of the legs 
and feet ; icy coldness of the feet. 



GLOSSARY OF MEDICAL TERMS. 



Abortus. Miscarriage; abortion. 

Abscess. A collection of pus seated in 
any particular organ or tissue. 

Adhesion. In surgery, the direct union 
of parts that have been divided. This 
union is often attended by inflamma- 
tion, which is thence called 

Adhesive Inflammation, which at- 
tends the union of surfaces, separated 
by a wound; it is synonymous with 
union by the first intention. 

Adypsia. The absence of natural 
thirst. 

Alkali. A substance which unites with 
acids in definite proportions, so as to 
neutralize their properties more or less 
perfectly, and to form salts. It changes 
vegetable blues to green. 

Allopathy. A term used by homoeo- 
pathic writers to designate the old 
practice of medicine in contradistinc- 
tion to their own, now generally em- 
ployed by both parties; literally im- 
plies, curing a disease with a medicine 
which produces a dissimilar one. 

Amenorrhea. Absence or stoppage of 
the menstrual flux. 

Anasarca. Dropsy of the cellular tis- 
sue, or membrane, immediately under 
the skin. 

Angina. Sore throat. The term is also 
applied to diseases with difficult res- 
piration. 

Angina Membranacea. Croup. 

Angina Parotidea. Mumps. 

Angina Pharyngea. Inflammation of 
the membrane which lines the pharynx. 

Anorexia. Want of appetite. 

Anthrax. Carbuncle. 

Antiphlogistic. Applied to remedies 
employed in the old system against 
inflammation; literally, against heat. 

Antrum Highmori. The maxillary 
sinus. A hollow or cavity above the 
teeth of the upper jaw, in the middle 
of the superior maxillary bone. 

Anls. The inferior opening of the 
rectum. 



Apoplexia. Apoplexy ^ a loss of vol- 
untary motion and consciousness. 
(See Diagnosis under this head.) 

Apyrexia. The intervals between fe- 
brile paroxysms. 

Arthritis. Gout. 

ASCARIS, plur. Ascarides. Pinworms. 

Asphyxia. Absence of pulsation. 

Asthenic. Low; applied to disease; 
literally, want of strength. 

Astringents. Medicaments used in 
the old practice to contract the animal 
fibre. 

Atony. A want of tone or energy in 
the muscular power. 

Atrophy. A morbid state of the di- 
gestive system, in which the food 
taken into the stomach fails to afford 
sufficient nourishment. A wasting 
of the whole or of individual parts of 
the body. 

Auscultation. The detection of symp- 
toms by the ear in disease. 

Bilious. Connected with the secretion 
of bile. 

Blepharitis. Inflammation of the eye- 
lids. 

Borborygmus. Rumbling in the in- 
testines, caused by flatus or wind. 

Bronchia; Bronchi. The tubes into 
which the trachea or windpipe divides. 

Bronchitis. Inflammation of the rami- 
fications of the windpipe. 

Bulimy; Bulimia. Canine, or excess- 
ive hunger. 

Cadaverous. Resembling a corpse. 

Caecum. The blind gut; so called from 
its being perforated at one end only. 

Carcinoma. Cancer, adj. Carcinoma- 
tous. 

Cardialgia. Pain in the stomach. 

Carditis. Inflammation of the heart. 

Caries. Ulceration of the bones. 

Carotids. The name of two large ar- 
teries of the neck. 

Carpologia. Picking at the bedclothes. 

Cartilage. Gristle. 

Catamenia. The menstrual flux. 



376 



GLOSSARY OF MEDICAL TERMS. 



Catarrh. Cold; used, also, to express 
inflammation of the mucous membrane. 

Catarrhal Ophthalmia. Simple in- 
flammation of the conjunctiva. 

Cathartic. Purgative. 

Cellular Tissue. The fine, netlike 
membrane enveloping or connecting 
most of the structures of the human 
body. 

Cephalalgia. Headache. 

Cerebral. Appertaining to the brain. 

Cervical. Belonging to the neck. 

Cessatio Mensium. Discontinuance of 
the menstrual flux. 

Chlorosis. Green sickness. 

Chronic. Long continued, in contra- 
distinction to acute. 

Cicatrix. A scar left after the healing 
of a wound. 

Clavi Pedis. Corns. 

Clonic Spasm. A spasm which is not 
of long duration. It is opposed to 
ionic spasm, which see. 

Coagula. Clots of blood. 

Coagulable Lymph. The term given 
to the fluid which is slowly effused 
into wounds, and afterward forms the 
uniting medium or cicatrice. 

Colic. Griping in the intestines. 

Collapse. Failing of vitality. 

Colliquative. Excessive discharge of 
any secretion . 

Coma. Drowsiness. 

Coma Somnolentum. Drowsiness, with 
relapse thereunto on being roused. 

Comatose. Drowsy. 

Compress. Soft lint, linen, etc., folded 
together so as to form a pad, for the 
purpose of being placed, and secured 
by means of a bandage, on parts which 
require pressure. 

Congestio ad Caput. Determination 
of blood to the head. 

Congestio ad Pectus. Determination 
of blood to the chest. 

Congestion. Over-fulness of blood- 
vessels of some particular organ. 

Conjunctiva. The membrane lining 
the eyelids, and extending over the 
fore part of the eyeballs. 

Contagion. Propagation cf a disease 
by contact. 

Cornea. The anterior transparent por- 
tion of the eye. It is of a horny con- 
sistence. 

CORYZA. Cold in the head. 

Coxagra. Inflammation of the hip 
joint. Literally, seizure or pain in the 
hip. 



Coxalgia. Literally, pain in the hip; 
inflammation of the hip joint. 

Cranium. The skull. 

Crepitation. Grating sensation, or 
noi9e, such as is caused by pressing 
the finger upon a part affected with 
emphysema; by the ends of a frac- 
tured bone when moved; or by certain 
salts during calcination. 

Crepitant Rhonchus or Rale. The 
fine crackling noise heard in conse- 
quence of the passage of air through 
a viscid fluid. It is heard in the first 
stage of inflammation of the lungs. 

Crepitus. Crackling or grating. 

Cutaneous. Appertaining to the skin. 

Cuticle. The outer or scarf skin. 

Cystitis. Inflammation of the bladder. 

Deglutition. The act of swallowing. 

Delirium. Derangement of the brain, 
raving. 

Depletion. Abstraction of the fluids; 
generally applied to venesection. 

Desiccation. A drying up. 

Desquamation. Falling off of the epi- 
dermis in form of scales. 

Diaphragmitis. Inflammation of the 
diaphragm (muscular partition be- 
tween the thorax and abdomen). 

Diagnosis. Distinction of maladies. 

Diarrhcea. Looseness of the bowels. 

Diathesis. Constitutional tendency. 

Diatetic. Relating to diet. 

Diplopia. Affection of the eyes, in 
which objects appear double or in- 
creased in number. 

Diuretic Medicines which increase 
the secretion of urine. 

Dorsal. Appertaining to the back. 

Drastic. Powerful purgatives. 

Duodenum. The first intestine after 
the stomach, so called from its length; 
the twelve-inch gut. 

Dyscrasia. A morbid condition of the 
system; adj. Dyscrastic. 

Dysecoia. Deafness. 

Dysmenorrhcea. Painful menstrua- 
tion. 

Dyspepsia. Indigestion; literally, diffi- 
culty of appetite. 

Dyspncea. Difficulty of respiration; 
shortness of breath. 

Dysuria. Difficulty in passing urine. 

Effusion. A pouring out or escape of 
lymph or other secretion. 

Emaciation. A falling off in the flesh. 

Emetic. Provoking vomiting. 

Encephalitis. Inflammation of the 
brain and membranes. 



GLOSSARY OF MEDICAL TERMS. 



377 



Endemic. Peculiar to a particular lo- 
cality. 

Endocarditis. Inflammation of the 
internal parts of the heart. 

Enteralgia. Colic. 

Enteritis. Inflammation of the intes- 
tines. 

Ephemeral. Of a day's duration. 

Ephialtes. Nightmare. 

Epidemic. Diseases arising from gen- 
eral causes. 

Epigastrium. The region of the stomach. 

Epilepsy, Epilepsia. Falling sick- 
ness. 

Epistaxis. Bleeding from the nose. 

Epithelium. The cuticle. 

Erysipelas. St. Anthony's fire. 

Kose. A disease of the skin. 

Erysipelas Phlegmonodes. Phleg- 
monous erysipelas. 

Erysipelas CEdematodes. (Edematous 
erysipelas. 

Erysipelas Erraticum. Wandering 
erysipelas. 

Erysipelas Gangrenosum. Gangre- 
nous erysipelas. 

Erysipelas Neonatorum. Induration 
of the cellular tissue in infants. 

Exacerbation. Aggravation of fever, 
etc. 

Exanthema. Eruption terminating in 
exfoliation. 

Expectoration. Discharge of any 
matter: phlegm; pus from the chest. 

Exudation. Discharge of fluid from 
the skin, etc. 

Faeces. Alvine excrement. 

Fascle. In anatomy, dense fibrous 
expansions, which either attack or 
invest muscles. 

Fauces. The throat. 

Febris. Fever. 

Febris Nervosa. Nervous fever, or 
typhus. 

Femur. The bone of the thigh. 

First Intention. (See Union by the.) 

Fistula. An obstinate, tube-like sore, 
with a narrow orifice ; adj. Fistuloxis. 

Fistula Lachrymalis. An ulcerated 
opening in the lachrymal sac. 

Flatus. Wind in the intestines. Flat- 
ulency. 

Fcetus. The infant in the womb. 

Fomentation. The application of flan- 
nel wet with warm water. 

Functional Diseases. Those in which 
there is supposed to be only derange- 
ment of action. 

Furunculus. A boil. 



Furunculus Malignans. Carbuncle. 

Gangrene. Incipient mortification; adj. 
Gangrenous. 

Gastralgia. Pain in the stomach. 

Gastric. Belonging to the stomach. 

Gastritis. Inflammation of the stomach. 

Gastrodynia. (See Cardialgia.) 

Gland. A small body met with in many 
parts of the body, and consisting of 
various tissues, blood-vessels, nerves, 
etc. 

Glossitis. Inflammation of the tongue. 

Glottis. Opening of the windpipe. 
The superior opening of the larynx. 

Granulation. (See Incarnation.) 

Hematemesis. A'omiting of blood. 

Hemoptysis. Discharge of blood from 
the lungs. Spitting of blood. 

Hemorrhage. Discharge of blood. 

Hemorrhoids. Piles. 

Hectic Fever. Habitual or protracted 
fever. 

Helminthiasis. Worm disease. 

Hemiplegia. Paralysis of one side of 
the body, longitudinally. 

Hepatitis. Inflammation of the liver. 

Hepatization. Structural derange- 
ment of the lungs, the result of in- 
flammation, changing them into a 
substance resembling the liver; hence 
its name. 

Hernia. Kupture. 

Hernia Congenital. Congenital her- 
nia. Literally, hernia from birth. 

Herpes Circinnatus. Ringworm. 

Hordeolum. Sty. 

Hydrocephalus. Water in the head. 

Hydrophobia Symptomatica. Symp- 
toms resembling those arising from 
hydrophobic virus, appearing during 
the course of other diseases. 

Hypertrophy. A morbid increase of 
any organ, arising from excessive nu- 
trition. 

Hippocratic. Sunken and corpse-like. 

Hypochondrium. Region of the ab- 
domen, contained under the cartilage 
of the false ribs. 

Hypochondriasis. Spleen disease; 
great depression of spirits, with gen- 
eral derangement; adj. Hypochondri- 
acal. 

Hypogastrium. The lower anterior 
portion of the abdomen. 

Hysteria. Nervous affection; almost 
peculiar to females. 

Ichor. A thin, watery discharge se- 
creted from wounds, ulcers, etc.; adj. 
Ichorous. 



378 



GLOSSARY OF MEDICAL TERMS. 



Icterus. Jaundice. 

Icterus Neonatorum. Jaundice of 
infants. 

Idiopathic Original or primary dis- 
ease. 

Idiosyncrasy. Individual peculiarity. 

Ilium. The haunch bone; it, together 
with the pubis, sacrum, and ischium, 
contributes to form the pelvis. 

Ileus Miserere. A form of colic; a 
twisting pain in the region of the 
navel. 

Incarcerated. Strangulated or con- 
stricted; a term applied to rupture. 

Incarnation. The process by which 
abscesses or ulcers are healed; this 
takes place by means of little grain- 
like, fleshy bodies, denominated gran- 
ulations, which form on the surface 
of ulcers or suppurating wounds, 
etc., and serve the double purpose of 
filling up the cavities and bringing 
closely together, and uniting, their 
sides. 

Incubus. The nightmare. 

Infection. Propagation of disease by 
effluvia. 

Infiltration. Diffusion of fluids into 
the cellular tissue. 

Integuments. The coverings of any 
part of the body. The skin, with tbe 
adherent fat and cellular membrane, 
form the common integuments. 

Intention. (See Union by the first.) 

Ischias. Pain in the hip. 

Ischuria. Suppression of urine. 

Lachrymation. Tear-shedding. 

Lactation. Suckling; also the process 
of the secretion of milk. 

Lacteal. Appertaining to the process 
of the secretion of milk. 

Lactiferous. Conducting or convey- 
ing the milk. 

Laryngeal. Belonging to the larynx. 

Laryngitis. Inflammation of the lar- 
ynx. 

Larynx. Upper part of the windpipe. 

Lesions. Injuries inflicted by violence, 
etc. 

Lesion, Organic. Structural derange- 
ment or injury. 

Leuco-phlegmatic. Torpid or slug- 
gish; mostly applied to a temperament 
characterized by want of tension of 
fibre; with light hair, and general 
inertness of the physical and mental 
powers. 

Leucorrhcea. Female sexual weak- 
ness; vulg. whites. 



Lochia. Discharge from the womb 
after delivery. 

Lumbago. Rheumatism in the loins. 

Lumbar. Appertaining to the loins. 

Lumbricus. The round or long worm. 

Luxation. Dislocation. 

Lymph. A colorless liquid, circulating 
in the lymphatics. 

Lymphatic. As applied to tempera- 
ment; same as leuco-phlegmatic. 

Lymphatics. Absorbent vessels with 
glands and valves distributed over the 
body. 

Lymphatic Glands, Conglobate 
Glands. These are composed of a 
texture of absorbents, or lymphatic 
vessels, connected together by a cel- 
lular membrane. 

Mamma. The breast in the female; adj. 
Mammillary. 

Mania. Insanity; madness. 

Marasmus. A wastiug away of the 
body. 

Materia Medica Pura. The title of 
that splendid work of the immortal 
Hahnemann, in which the true prop- 
erties of medicaments are given, as 
determined by experiment upon the 
healthy body. 

Maxillary. Appertaining to the jaws. 
The superior and inferior maxillary 
bones from the upper and lower jaws. 

Megrim. A pain affecting only one side 
of the head. 

Meibomean Glands. Small glands 
within the inner membrane of the eye- 
lids. 

Menorrhagia. Excessive discharge of 
blood from the uterus. 

Menses and Menstrual Flux. The 
monthly period. 

Meningitis Spinalis. Inflammation of 
the spinal membranes. 

Metastasis. The passing of a disease 
from one part to another. 

Meteorismus. Extreme inflation of 
the intestines. 

Metrorrhagia. Discharge of blood 
from the womb. 

Miasm, or Miasma (Marsh). Peculiar 
effluvia or emanations from swampy 
grounds. 

Micturition. Urination. 

Miliaria. Eruption of minute trans- 
parent vesicles of the size of millet 
seeds; miliary eruption. 

Miliaria Purpura. Scarlet rash. 

Morbus Coxarius. Disease of the 
hip; hip disease. 



GLOSSARY OF MEDICAL TERMS. 



379 



Mucous Membrane. The membrane 
•which lines the sides of cavities which 
communicate with the external air, 
such as that -which lines the mouth, 
stomach, etc. 

Mucus. One of the primary animal 
fluids; secretion from the nostrils. 

Myelitis. Inflammation of the spinal 
marrow. 

Miopia. Short sight; near-sighted- 
ness. 

Narcotic. Having the property of in- 
ducing sleep. 

Nasal. Belonging to the nose. 

Nasal Cartilages. The cartilages of 
the nose. 

Nephritis. Inflammation of kidneys. 

Neuralgia Facialis. Face-ache. 

Nodosities. Swellings; nodes, a swell- 
ing of the bone or thickening of the 
periosteum. 

Notalgia. Pains in the loins. 

Occiput. The posterior part of the head. 

Odontalgia. Toothache. 

OZdema. Swelling; dropsical swelling; 
adj. (Edematous. 

Olfaction. The act of smelling. 

Omentum. The caul. The viscus con- 
sists of folds of the peritoneum con- 
nected by cellular tissue; it is attached 
to the stomach, lying on the anterior 
surface of the bowels. 

Ophthalmia. By this term is now 
usually understood simple inflamma- 
tion of the Conjunctiva. Catarrhal 
ophthalmia. 

Ophthalmic Nerve. The first branch 
given off from the Gasserian ganglion 
of the fifth pair of nerves; it divides 
into the lachrymal, frontal, and nasal 
nerves. 

Ophthalmitis. Inflammation of the 
entire ball of the eye. 

Organic Disease. In pathology, dis- 
eases in which there is derangement or 
alteration of structure are termed 
organic. 

OS Uteri. The mouth or opening of the 
womb. 

Ossicula Auditoria. The small bones 
of the ear. They are situated in the 
cavity of the tympanum, and are four 
in number; termed the malleus, incus, 
stapes, and os orbiculare. 

Otalgia. Earache. 

Otitis. Inflammation of the ear. 

Otorrhoea. A discharge, or running, 
from the ear. 

Ozena. An ulcer situated in the nose. 



Palate Bones. These are placed at the 
back part of the roof of the mouth, 
between the superior maxillary and 
sphenoid bones, and extend from 
thence to the floor of the orbit. 

Palpitatio Cordis. Palpitation of the 
heart. 

Panaris. Whitlow; panaritium; pa- 
ronychia. 

Pancreas. A gland situated trans- 
versely behind the stomach. 

Paralysis. Palsy. 

Paralysis Paraplegica. Paralysis 
affecting one half of the body trans- 
versely. 

Parenchyma. The connecting medium 
of the substance of the lungs. 

Parotitis. Inflammation of the paro- 
tid gland; the mumps. 

Paroxysm. A periodical fit of a disease. 

Parturition. The act of bringing 
forth. 

Pathogenetic. The producing or cre- 
ating of abnormal phenomena. 

Pathognomic. Characteristic of, and 
peculiar to, any disease. 

Pathology. The investigation of the 
nature of disease. 

Pectoral. Appertaining to the chest. 

Pectus. The chest. 

Pelvis. The basin-shaped cavity below 
the abdomen, containing the bladder 
and rectum, and womb in woman. 

Percussion. The act of striking upon 
the chest, etc., in order to elicit sounds, 
to ascertain the state of the subjacent 
parts. 

Pericarditis. Inflammation of the 
pericardium (sac containing the heart). 

Perineum. The space between the 
anus and the external sexual organs. 

Periosteum. The membrane which 
envelops the bones. 

Peritoneum. The serous membrane 
which lines the cavity of the abdo- 
men, and envelops the viscera con- 
tained therein. 

Peritonitis. Inflammation of the peri- 
toneum. 

Petechle. Spots of a red or purple 
hue, resembling a fleabite. 

Phagedenic. A term applied to any 
sore which eats away the parts, as it 
were. 

Pharynx. The throat, or upper part of 
the gullet. 

Phase. Appearance, or change exhibited 
by any body, or by disease. 

Phlebitis. Inflammation of the veins. 



380 



GLOSSARY OF MEDICAL TERMS. 



Phlegmatic. (See Leuco- Phlegmatic.) 

Phlegmon. An inflammation of that 
nature which is otherwise termed 
healthi/ inflammation. 

Phrenitis. Inflammation of the brain. 

Phthisis (Pulmonalis). Consumption, 
abscess of the lungs. 

Physiology. The branch of medicine 
which treats of the functions of the 
human body. 

Plethora. An excessive fulness of 
the blood-vessels. 

Pleura. The serous membrane which 
lines the cavity of the thorax or chest. 

Pleuritis or Pleurisy. Inflammation 
of the pleura. 

Pleurodynia. Pain or stitch in the 
side. 

Pneumonia, Pneumonitis, Peri- 
pneumonia. Inflammation of the 
parenchyma of the lung. 

Polypus. A tumor most frequently met 
with in the nose, uterus, or vagina. 

Porrigo Scutulata. Ringworm of the 
scalp. 

Precordial Region. The fore part of 
the chest. 

Prognosis. The act of predicting of 
what will take place in diseases. 

Prolapsus Ani. Protrusion of the in- 
testines. 

Prosopalgia. Face-ache. 

Prurigo. Itching of the skin. 

Psoas Muscles. The name of two 
muscles situated in the loins. 

Psoitis. Inflammation of the psoas 
muscles. 

Pubis. The pubic or share bone. 

Puerperal Fever. Appertaining to 
childbed. 

Puriform. Pus-like, resembling pus. 

Purulent. Of the character of pus. 

Pus. Matter. A whitish, bland, cream- 
like fluid, found in abscesses or on the 
surface of sores. 

Pustule. An elevation of the scarf- 
skin, containing pus or lymph, and 
having an inflamed base. 

Pyrosis. Heartburn ; water brash. 

Quinsy. Inflammatory sore throat. 

Quotidian. Intermittent, about twen- 
ty-four hours intervening between the 
attacks. 

Rabies. Madness arising from the bite 
of a rabid animal ; generally applied to 
the disease showing itself in the brute 
creation. 

Rachitis. The rickets. 

Raucitas. Hoarseness. 



Rectum. The last of the large intes- 
tines, terminating in the anus. 

Remittent. A term applied to fevers 
with marked remissions, and, gen- 
erally subsequent exacerbation. 

Repercussed. Driven in. 

Resolution. A termination of inflam- 
matory affections without abscess, 
mortification, etc. The term is also 
applied to the dispersion of swellings, 
indurations, etc. 

Rheumatic Ophthalmia. Inflamma- 
tion of the tunica albuginea, and of the 
sclerotica. 

Rose. A term applied to erysipelas, 
from its color. 

Rubeola. Measles. 

Sacrum. The bone which forms the 
base of the vertebral column. 

Saliva. The fluid secreted by the sali- 
vary glands into the cavity of the 
mouth. 

Sanguineous. Consisting of blood. 

Sanies. A thin, greenish discharge of 
fetid matter, from sores, fistula, etc.; 
adj. Sanious. 

Scabies. Psora, itch. 

Scapula. The shoulder blade. 

Sciatica. A rheumatic affection of the 
hip-joint. 

Sciatic Nerve. A branch of a nerve 
of the lower extremity. 

Scirrhus. Indolent, glandular tumor, 
generally preceding cancer in an ul- 
cerated form. 

Sclerotica. The hard membrane of 
the eye; it is situated immediately 
under the conjunctiva. 

Scorbiculus. Pit of the stomach. 

Scorbutus. Scurvy. 

Scrofulous Ophthalmia. Inflamma- 
tion of the conjunctiva, with slight red- 
ness, Out great intolerance of light, 
and the formation of pimples, or small 
pustules. 

Secretory Vessels or Organs. Parts 
of the animal economy, which separate 
or secrete the various fluids of the 
body. 

Semi-lateral. Limited to one side. 

Sinus. A cavity or depression. 

Solidification. (See Hepatization.) 

Somnolence. Disposition to sleep. 

Specific. A remedy possessing a pe- 
culiar curative action in certain dis- 
eases. 

Spleen. A spongy, viscous organ, of a 
livid color, placed on the posterior part 
of the left hypochondrium. 



GLOSSARY OF MEDICAL TERMS. 



381 



Splenitis. Inflammation of spleen. 

Splints. Long, thin pieces of wood, 
tin, or strong pasteboard, used for 
preventing the extremities of frac- 
tured bones from moving so as to 
interrupt the process by which they are 
united. 

Sputa. Expectoration of different kinds. 

St. Anthony's Fire. Erysipelas. 

Stertorous. Snoring. 

Stomacace. Canker or scurvy of the 
mouth. 

Strabismus. Squinting. 

Strangury. Painful discharge of urine. 

Sternum. The breast bone. 

Stethoscope. An instrument to assist 
the ear in examining the morbid sounds 
of the chest. 

Stricture. A constriction of a tuhe or 
duct of some part of the body. 

Struma, Scrofula. The king's evil; 
adj. Strumous. 

Sty. An inflammatory small tumor on 
the eyelid. 

Submaxillary. Under the jaw. 

Submaxillary Glands. Glands on 
the inner side of the lower jaw. 

Sub-mucous Tis-sue. Placed under the 
mucous membrane. 

Sudorifics. Medicines which produce 
sweating. 

Sugillation. A bruise, or extrava- 
sated blood. 

Suppuration. The morbid action by 
which pus is deposited in inflammatory 
tumor, etc. 

Syncope. Fainting or swooning. 

Synocha. Continued. inflammatory fe- 
ver. 

Synovia. A peculiar, unctuous fluid 
secreted within the joints, which it 
lubricates, and thereby serves to facili- 
tate their motions. 

Synovial Membrane. The membrane 
which lines the cavities of the joints, 
and secretes the synovia. 

Taenia. Tapeworm. 

Tartar. A concretion incrusting the 
teeth. 

Temporal. Appertaining to temples. 

Tendon. The white and shining ex- 
tremity of a muscle. 

Tenesmus. Painful and constant urg- 
ing to alvine evacuations, without a 
discharge. 

Tetanus, adj. Tetanic. A spasmodic 
rigidity of the parts affected. 

Therapeutics. That branch of medi- 
cine describing the action of the dif- 



ferent means employed for the curing 
of diseases, and of the application of 
those means. 

Thorax. The chest, or that part of the 
body situated between the neck and 
the abdomen. 

Thrush. Numerous small, white vesi- 
cles in the mouth. 

Tic-Douloureux. Face-ache. 

Tinea Annularis, Tinea Capitis. 
Ringworm of the scalp. 

Tinea Faciei. Milk-crust; milk-scab. 

Titillation. Tickling. 

Tonic. Medicines which are said to 
increase the tone of the muscular fibre 
when debilitated and relaxed. 

Tonsils. The oblong, suboval glands 
placed between the arches of the pal- 
ate. 

Tonsilitis. Inflammation of the tonsils. 

Trachea. The windpipe. 

Tracheotomy. An operation by open- 
ing the windpipe. 

Traumatic. Appertaining to wounds; 
arising from wounds. 

Tremor. Trembling. 

Trismus. Lockjaw. 

Trituration. The reduction of a sub- 
stance to minute division by means of 
long-continued rubbing. 

Tubercle. A small, round, eruptive 
swelling, anatomically speaking. In 
pathology, the name is applied to a 
peculiar morbid product occurring in 
various organs or textures, in the form 
of small, round, isolated masses of a 
dull whitish yellow, or yellowish gray 
color, opaque, unorganized, and vary- 
ing in shape and consistence according 
to their stage of development and the 
texture of the part in which the}* are 
engendered. 

Typhoid. Applied to diseases of a low 
character. 

Umbilical Cord. The navel-string. 

Umbilicus. The navel. 

Union by the First Intention. The 
healing of wounds by adhesion; the 
growing together of the opposite sur- 
faces of a wound, when brought into 
close approximation, without suppu- 
ration or granulation. The latter 
process of healing is sometimes des- 
ignated the second intention. 

Urethra. The urinary canal. 

Urticaria. Nettle rash. 

Uterus. The womb. 

Varicella. Pimples, quickly forming 
pustules, seldom passing into suppu- 



382 



GLOSSARY OF MEDICAL TERMS. 



ration, but bursting at the point and 
drying into scabs. Chicken-pox. 

Variola. Smallpox. 

Variola Spuria. {Varicella). Chicken- 
pox. 

Varix, plur. Varices. Swelling or en- 
largement of the veins. 

Venesection. The abstraction of blood 
by opening a vein. 

Vertigo. Giddiness, with a sensation 
as if falling. 

Vesicle. A small, bladder-like erup- 



tion; an elevation of the cuticle con- 
taining a transparent, watery fluid. 

Vicarious. Acting as a substitute. 

Virus. Contagion or poison. 

Viscid. Glutinous and gelatinous. 

VlSCUS, plur. Viscera. Any organ of 
the system. A bowl. 

Vomica. An abscess of the lungs. 

Zygomatic Process. A thin, narrow 
projection of bone, defining the squa- 
mous portion of the temporal bone at 
its base. 



INDEX 



PAGE 

Abdominal Walls, Rheumatism of, 171 

Abscess 215 

Alimentary Tube . .... 49 

Anatomy, Animal .... 17 

" Vegetable .... 17 

Ano, Fistula in 203 

Anus, Abscess in or near . . . 203 

Aorta 35 

Appetite . . . " . . . 99 

" Capricious .... 155 

" Loss of 153 

" Morbid 155 

Arms, Bones of 26 

Articulators and Muscular System, 29 

Artificial Foods 279 

Asphyxia ...... 81 

Asthma 151 

Atlas ....... 23 

Auricles 34 

Babies, Blue 299 

Bathing, Cool 297 

Biliousness 157 

Bladder 57 

" Inflammation of . 170 

Blood, The 33 

Body, Temperature of ... 98 

Boils 214 

Bowels, Catarrhal Inflammation of, 171 

" Condition of . . . . 99 

" Inner Lining of . . . 171 

Brain 43 

" Compression .... 84 

Breathing 98 

Bronchi 39 

Bronchitis . . . . . . 148 

Bunion 262 

Burns 70 

Bursa? . 261 

Canker ....... 139 

Capillaries ...... 36 

Carbuncle ...... 215 

Cardiac Opening 50 

Cartilage 30 

Cerebellum 44 

Cerebrum .44 



Chafing . 
Chilblains 
Children, Cries of 

" Diseases of 

" Weight of 

Cholera Infantum 

" Morbus . 
Chorea . 
Chyle . 

" Receptaculum 
Circulation . 

Arteiial 

" Venous 

Clavicle 

Coffee, Abuse of 
Cold Feet 
Colic 

Collar Bone . 
Column, Anterior 

" Lateral 

" Posterior 
Composition of the Body 

and Liquids . 
Composition of the Bones 
Concussion . 
Conjunctivitis 
Constipation 

" Treatment of 

Contusions . 
Convulsions . 
Cornea .... 
Corns .... 
Coryza .... 
Cough . 

Cramps in the Limbs 
Croup, False 
Crying of Infants 
Cutis 



Dentition 
Diabetes Insipidus 

" Mellitus 

Diaphragm . 
Diarrhoea 

" Acute . 

" Chronic 

" Teething 



PAGE 

. 316 
. 219 
. 299 
. 275 
. 280 
310, 311, 312 



Solids 



16: 



262 
54 
55 
35 
35 
35 
25 
269 
270 
305 
25 



18 

20 

84 

117 

309 

309 

61 

318 

118 

220 

306 

140 

263 

143 

316 

58 

300 



. 262 
41 
99, 1S4, 310 

. 187 
. 187 
. 302 



384 



INDEX. 



PAGE 

Diarrhoea, Treatment of . . 310-314 

Diet 101 

Digestion, Disturbances of . . 253 

Digits 28,29 

Diphtheria 137 

Disease, Causes 93 

" Investigation ... 93 

Dislocations 78 

Distribution of Bones ... 19 

Divisions of the Body ... 18 

" " " Vertebral Column. 22 

Dropsy, Kesulting from Malaria . 245 

Dysentery 188 

Dyspepsia 155 

Earache 120 

Ear, Ringing and Buzzing in . . 122 

Ears 119 

" Discharge from . . . . 121 

Eczema 201, 211 

Enteritis 170 

Epidermis . 58 

Epiglottis 39 

Eyelids, Abscess of . . . . 115 
" Inflammation of . . . 114 
" " " Margins 115 

" Tumors of . . . .115 

Eyes 114 

" Inflammation of . . . .117 
" Sore 304 

Feeding, General Rules for . . 286 

Felon 216 

Femur 28 

Fibula 29 

Finger Nails 303 

Fluid, Pancreatic .... 54 

Fluids 52 

Follicle 60 

Food, Inorganic 106 

" Requisite Quantity . . .107 

Foods 103 

" Nitrogenized .... 103 
" Non-nitrogenized . . .105 

Foot 29 

Foreskin, Inflammation of the. . 315 

Fractures 77 

Frostbites 72, 219 

Furuncle 214 

Gall -Bladder ..... 54 

Ganglion 261 

Gas, Nitrogen 41 

" Oxygen 41 

Gastric Juice 50 

Gland, Parotid 49 

" Sublingual .... 49 

" Submaxillary .... 49 

Glands, Lacteals 54 



Glands, Salivary . 
" Sebaceous 
" Sudoriferous 
Gout 
" Causes of 
" Diet in . 
" Remedies for 
" Treatment of 
Gumboil 

Hair, Care of the . 

Hairs 

Hand . 

Hardness of Heaiing 

Headache 

Head Cold . 

Heart . 

Hemorrhage 

" Arterial 

" Capillary 

" Vein 

" Venous 

" Scalp Wound 

Hemorrhoids 

Hiccough 

Hives 

Hoarseness . 

Housemaid's Knee 

Humerus 

Hygienic Rules . 

Indigestion . 
Infant Feeding . 
Inferior Vena Cava 
Innominata . 
Insomnia 
Internal Organs . 
Iutestine Duodenum 

" Ileum . 

" Jejunum 

" Large . 

" Small . 
Iritis 

Jaundice 
Joints 

" movable . 

Kidneys 

Larynx 
Ligaments 
Limbs . 
Lips 
Liver . 

" Inflammation of 
Lockjaw 

" Treatment of 
Lower Extremities 



PAGE 

49 
58 
58 
252 
252 
253 
253 
253 
127 

303 

60 

27 

122 

110 

306 

34 

73 

74 

73 

73 

75 

76 

197 

317 

212 

139 

261 

26 

294 

155 

78-280 

35 

28 

264 
18 
50 
50 
50 
51 
50 

118 

207 
29 
30 

56 

39 
30 
25 
127 
53 
206 
259 
260 
28 



INDEX. 



385 



2-4 



Lumbago 

" Duration of 

Lungs 

" Inflammation of 
Lymphatics 

Malaria, Causes of 
" Chronic 
" Diseases following 
" Method of Administering 

Remedies in 
" Quotidian . 
" Remedies for 
" Tertian or Quartan 
" Three Divisions of 
" To prescribe for . 
Mediastinum .... 
Medulla Oblongata 
Metacarpus .... 

Metatarsus . . . . 
Milk, Cow's, Modified 

" Crust 

" Modified, Benefits of 

" Main Points of . 
" " Rules for Preparing 

" Sterilized .... 

Mouth 

" Sore 

" Ulcers in . 

Mumps 

Muscles, Involuntary . 
" Voluntary 



Nausea and Vomiting 

Navel, The 

" Hemorrhage of 

Neck, Wry 

Serves 

" Auditory .... 
" Cranial .... 
" Motor .... 
" Olfactory . . . 
Optic .... 
" Sensory .... 
" Spinal . . . • . 
" Sympathetic . 

Nosebleed 

Number of Bones in human Skeleton 
Nursery, The .... 294, 

Nursing Bottle, Best Kind of . 
Nursing, Abuses of . 
" General Rules for 
" Mothers . . 

" Effect of Drugs on 
" of Sick Children . 
" Reasons for not . 



Observations 
OZsophagus . 



'AGE 

251 

251 
40 

144 
55 

245 

245 
245 

245 

245 

245 

245 

245 

245 

40 

45 

28 

29 

282 

317 

283 

284 

,285 

281 

127 

307 

136 

119 

31 

31 

161 

315 

315 

251 

43 

47 

47 

46 

47 

47 

46 

46 

47 

125 

19 

295 

279 

281 

290 

280 

280 

296 

281 



320 
39, 50 



Olecranon 

Organs, Circulatory and Alimentar 



Panaritium . 
Pancreas 
Papilla3 . 
Patella . 
Pericarditis . 
Peritoneum . 
Peritonitis . 
Pharyngitis . 
Pharynx 
Piles" . 
Pleura . 
Pleurisy 

False . 
Pleurodynia . 
Pneumonia . 
Pocket . 
Poison, Mineral . 
" Vegetable 
Pons Varolii 
Pruritus Ani 
Pulmonary Artery 
Pulse . 
Pyloric Opening . 
Pylorus 



Quinsy 



Radius . 
Ranula . 
Rectum, Fissure of 

" Prolapsus of 
Remedies, Symptoms of 
Retention of Feces 
Rheumatism, Acute . 

" Chronic 

Diet in . 

" Symptoms o 

Ribs, Number and their Positio 
Rotation 
Run round 
Rupture, Umbilical 

Scald Head . 
Scalds . 
Scalp, Eczema of 
Sciatica . 
Scleritis 
Screaming 
Seatworms 
Sensations 
Shock . 

Sickness, Features in . 
of 
Skin .... 
Skull and Composition 
Sleeplessness, Causes of 



the 



PAGE 
27 

17 

216 

54 

57 

29 

250 

60 

170 

308 

50 

197 

40 

146 

147 

174 

144 

52 

87 

87 

44 

201 

36 

95 

50 

50 

131 

26 
130 
199 
197 
191 
319 
250 
251 
253 
250 
24 
31 
216 
315 



117 

300 

178 

97 

80 



290 
r, 98 



266 



386 



Snake-bites ..!... 

Snuffles 

Soothing Syrups 

Sore Feet 

Spasms 

Sprains 

Sterilizers 

Stiff Neck 

Stomach 

Catarrh of ... 
" Pain or Cramp in 

Stoppage 

St. Vitus's Dance . 

Stye 

Subdivision of the Body . 

Summer Complaint . 

Superior Vena Cava . . . . 

Synovial Membrane . 

Systems and their Uses 

Tarsus 

Tea, Abuse of 

Teeth, Care of 

Teeth, Fistulae of . 

Teething 

Temperature, Method of Obtaining 
" Normal, of the Body 

" Significance of 

Thermometers 

Thoracic Cavity . 

Thorax and Formation 

Throat, Sore 

Throat, Sore, Catarrhal 
" " Chronic 

" " Treatment of 

Tibia 

Toe Nails, Ingrowing 

Tongue 



m 



INDEX. 






£> 



PAGE 

66 
306 
302 
220 
318 

65 
283 
251 

50 
156 
163 
319 
262 
115 

18 
186 

35 

30 

19 

29 
269 
303 
127 
300 
290 
290 



41 

24 
308 
133 
134 
309 

29 
218 

96 



Tongue, Inflammation of . 

Tonsilitis 

Tonsils . 

" Enlarged . 
Toothache . 
Trachea 
Trismus (see Lockjaw) 



Ulna 

Umbilicus, The . 
Urinary Organs, Diseases of 
Urine ..... 
Urine, Passing of Bloody . 

" Retention of . 
Urticaria .... 



Ventricles 
Vertebx-ae Column 
Vertebrae, First and Second 
Vertebrates .... 
Vesicles .... 



Warts 

Weaning .... 

" Articles of Food when 
Weeping Sinew . 
Wet Nurse .... 
Whitlow .... 
Whooping-Cough 
Womb, Inflammation of . 

Worms 

Wounds .... 

" Gunshot 

" Incised . 

" Lacerated 

" Poisoned 

" Punctured . 



Wrist 



PAGE 

129 
131 
131 
133 
128 
39 
259 



315 
20S 
, 100 
210 
319 
212 

34 
21 
23 
17 
39 

221 



288 

261 

279 

216 

142 

170 

175 

63 

64 

64 

66 

64 

64 

27 



^-^TV-PTH? 



^ 



